Endometriosis and maternity - urgent health needs of women

In Poland, women's health-related needs concern more than just the mere availability of specially dedicated therapies. Women are often looking for support in their struggles with the disease and help in everyday life. The answer to their needs is, among others, the "Grant for Health" competition, organized by Gedeon Richter Poland in cooperation with the Institute for Patient Rights and Health Education. Its purpose is to recognize and promote associations implementing projects that contribute to improving the quality of life and health of women.

- We are constantly aware of how much remains to be done in the area of women's health, which is why we have once again, together with Gedeon Richter, organized another edition of the Grant for Health competition," explains Igor Grzesiak, vice president of the Institute for Patient Rights and Health Education. - Initiatives such as the Grant for Health competition are particularly valuable for small NGOs. With the grant funds, they can implement projects that have a chance to really improve the situation of patients, he adds.

The award is a good start

The "Grant for Health" competition has been popular since its inception, with dozens of organizations competing to win each year. In the just-concluded fifth edition, two grants of PLN 20,000 were awarded for the implementation of unique projects dedicated to women's health education and prevention. They were awarded to:

• EndoEducation for Schools, a program developed by the Overcome Endometriosis Foundation,
• Motherhood is possible - a project initiated by the Polish Public Health Association.

- Out of all the submissions , the competition jury decided to select two whose implementation can significantly improve the quality of life of women in Poland. We are pleased that once again, for the fifth time, we can contribute to the implementation of such valuable projects," says Aneta Grzegorzewska, director of the Corporate Division and External Relations of Gedeon Richter Poland.

Understanding endometriosis - the need for education is growing

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 10 percent of the world's women of reproductive age suffer from the disease,[1] and we still know little about it. An opportunity to increase awareness of endometriosis is the EndoEducation for Schools project, which was awarded in the "Grant for Health" competition, prepared by the "To Defeat Endometriosis" Foundation. Its goal is to educate students, teachers and parents on the subject. In addition to the educational aspect, the action is expected to promote early diagnosis, reproductive health, building awareness of the disease and supporting young people in accessing medical care.

- Endometriosis is a disease that affects women of all ages, including teenagers. Many of us experienced the first symptoms of the disease as early as elementary school. We have examples of foreign educational programs conducted in schools, such as Australia's PPEP Talk, which show how important it is to include awareness of endometriosis and painful menstruation in education," explains Lucyna Jaworska-Wojtas, president of the Overcome Endometriosis Foundation. - The Health Grant will enable us to fund the preparation of educational materials for schools that will be age-appropriate for students. The grant will also enable us to finance the printing and shipping of materials to selected schools, she adds.

The Overcome Endometriosis Foundation[2] is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about endometriosis, supports those affected by the disease and promotes early diagnosis and treatment, in accordance with global standards. It conducts educational, informational and outreach activities aimed at patients, their relatives and the medical community. It implements projects that break taboos around reproductive health, such as social campaigns, workshops and webinars - all in close cooperation with experts to ensure high quality initiatives. The Foundation also engages in educational projects, such as "Endometriosis Awareness in Schools."

Carotid insufficiency - a common reason for early pregnancy loss. How to help yourself?

The second "Health Grant" was awarded to the "Motherhood is Possible" project , prepared by the Polish Public Health Association. Its goal is to spread awareness of a little-known method of treating severe cervical insufficiency, i.e. the inability of the cervix to maintain pregnancy until the expected date of delivery. This method involves the placement of a TAC suture (tape).

- Cervicovaginal insufficiency is responsible for 15-20% of miscarriages and preterm births up to 28 weeks of pregnancy. The pathogenesis of this dysfunction is not fully understood. A common method of treating cervical insufficiency is the placement of a circular suture (McDonald) from transvaginal access. Unfortunately, this procedure is not effective in about 13% of patients with severe cervical insufficiency. In the case of such women, who are usually after several premature deliveries, the chance for motherhood is the placement of a transabdominal cervicoisthmus cerclage-TAC suture (tape), which has a 95% success rate, explains Magdalena Konieczny of the Polish Public Health Association. - Implementation of the project will make it possible to implement educational and informational activities on this treatment method. They will be aimed at women with the problem of cervical insufficiency and gynecologists, which will increase the awareness of women and medics in this area. The result of the project will be the availability and systematization on the web (on the website) of materials containing the necessary information on treatment options for severe cervical insufficiency. Brochures developed as part of the grant, with information on where to use this method, will be delivered to every gynecological-obstetrical department in Poland. In this way, the measures taken can contribute to the maternal success of patients, and thus improve the quality of their lives and their families," adds Magdalena Konieczny.

The Polish Public Health Association[3] is an organization that promotes knowledge and activities in the field of public health by organizing conferences, research and development projects and educational campaigns. Since 2015, it has been organizing PTZP International Congresses. It engages in various initiatives related to improving public health, including, among others, activities related to the COVID-19 pandemic. PTZP is also a partner in the "Knowledge Network - What We Should Know in Times of Epidemics" project, and supports the #WezSieZbad campaign, promoting cholesterol and glucose testing.

[1] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/endometriosis

[2] www.pokonacendometrioze.pl

[3] www.ptzp.org

Source: Press Mat.