MRSA Survivors Rally for World MRSA Day
CHICAGO, Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MRSA survivors and their families along with healthcare personnel and lawmakers gathered for the MRSA Survivors Network's 4th Annual World MRSA Day Kickoff Event on Sept. 29, 2012 in Chicago. The event was a great success and raised awareness for the fight against MRSA, educated attendees and was a very healing experience for those who attended.
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Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Unite spoke to MRSA survivors and attendees with his personal message via video, which was very uplifting and gave hope to the awareness movement that now MRSA has an international celebrity as a MRSA Champion.
World MRSA Day, October 2 and World MRSA Awareness Month, October are annual designated awareness dates by the U.S. Senate (S.R. 301), which passed in 2009.
"MRSA Survivors Network brings critical attention and awareness for the need for MRSA prevention, treatment, educational and awareness campaigns to the public worldwide," states Jeanine Thomas, founder of World MRSA Awareness Month, World MRSA Day and MRSA Survivors Network. The Global theme for World MRSA Awareness Month is 'The MRSA Epidemic – A Call to Action.' Global Handwashing Day is October 15, 2012.
Downloadable posters, web banners, a brochure and e-card can be found at the World MRSA Day web site to help raise awareness. Fundraising and awareness events are being held through the month of October in the United States and in the United Kingdom with MRSA Action UK participation.
The ongoing MRSA epidemic continues to be a major global threat and MRSA emerged into the world over fifty years ago. Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacterium spread and mutated for decades throughout Europe and other continents, which has had a devastating and fatal effect on patients in healthcare facilities worldwide and now in the community.
2012 Sponsors: Pfizer, Antimicrobial Copper and media sponsor NBC Chicago.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must immediately develop and implement a MRSA surveillance and reporting system for all countries, collect MRSA infection and colonization data and release the data on a designated website so the true magnitude of the MRSA global epidemic can become apparent worldwide. Transparency is imperative.
The Veteran's Administration (VA) Healthcare System has had excellent results from their MRSA intervention program. Through the use of active detection and isolation (ADI), a large number of VA hospitals nationwide were able to significantly reduce MRSA colonization and infections, saving many lives. Thus, similar to previous data reported by Evanston Hospital, universal screening of admissions for MRSA combined with placing MRSA-colonized or infected patients in contact isolation, reinforcing hand hygiene and environmental cleaning significantly reduces MRSA infections. Given that nearly 20,000 persons die of invasive MRSA infections in U.S. healthcare facilities each year, how long will health officials wait until ADI is mandated for the control of MRSA in healthcare facilities in the U.S. and worldwide?
About MRSA Survivors Network
MRSA Survivors Network, the prominent global non-profit organization was the first to raise the alarm concerning the MRSA epidemic and healthcare-acquired infections in the United States. Founder Jeanine Thomas is a survivor of MRSA sepsis and complicating C. difficile from ankle surgery and became critically ill and nearly died.
To help raise awareness, MRSA Survivors Network has produced with True Productions the first non-profit public service announcements (PSA's) for general MRSA awareness with Mr. Rob Stafford, anchor of NBC Chicago evening news. The PSA's air on NBC Chicago stations and also can be viewed on MRSA Survivors Network's YouTube channel.
Additional MRSA Survivors Network programs include the 'Bandage Care Program,' which provides wound care items directly to MRSA surgical site victims and also operates a MRSA crisis hotline for MRSA patients and family members since 2003.
MRSA Survivors Network conducts other annual designated awareness campaigns worldwide: Int'l MRSA Testing Week, April 1-7.
For information on how you can become a corporate sponsor, donate ( tax deductible), volunteer or get involved to make a difference, contact us at: 630 325-4354, www.MRSAsurvivors.org, [email protected], www.Twitter.com/MRSAsurvivors and at Facebook.com/MRSASurvivorsNetwork.
SOURCE MRSA Survivors Network
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