John Bruton
Ceist:210 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Health if it is proposed to organise a women's health week to highlight specific preventable health problems affecting women.
Written Answers. - Women's Health Week.
While I have no plans for a national women's health week in 1992 my Department's Health Promotion Unit is currently involved in a number of significant initiatives at national level of particular relevance to women's health.
The situation regarding diagnostic mammography and cervical screening services was outlined in the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 92 on 4 March 1992. Since that date I have reconvened the working group on cervical screening who will consider what further improvements can be made in the area of cervical screening.
The Health Promotion Unit of my Department works closely with the Council for the Status of Women on issues relevant to women's health. The unit recently made a grant available for the organisation by the council of a seminar on young women and smoking and for the publication of a report on the seminar.
The unit also conducted a week-long training course for youth officers of the Irish Countrywomen's Association, from every county in Ireland, on the topic of drug prevention strategies at local level. The Health Promotion Unit supplied a wide range of resource materials to the ICA for this. Following the course ICA officers carried out health education activities in their own locality. The unit intends to hold a follow-up session this autumn.
Another joint initiative which the unit is developing, on a pilot basis, with the Irish Countrywomen's Association is a healthy lifestyles programme entitled "Lifewise". This programme deals with exercise, relaxation and other health topics such as nutrition, smoking and alcohol use.
The Institute of Community Health Nursing is closely involved with women's groups in the community. The Health Promotion Unit held a national two-day training course for members of the institute on 15 and 16 June 1992 in communication and group work skills. The Health Promotion Unit also ran two training courses for members of the institute on similar themes last year.
In our present AIDS Awareness Convenience Advertising Campaign specific messages are targeted at women through women's clinics by the placement of AIDS awareness messages in these venues.
The Health Promotion Unit is also making a grant of £5,000 to the Global Forum on Women held in July 1992 under the auspices of the Centre for Women's studies in Trinity College, Dublin. A special theme of the forum is "Valuing Women's Health: Safety and Choices".
A range of information materials on current women's health issues is available from the Health Promotion Unit of my Department and from regional health boards. The unit will also this year continue its support for the preparation of educational materials by voluntary organisations in the area of women's health.