World Continence Week 19-23 June 2023 | Importance, Theme & History

World Continence Week is a global healthcare event celebrated for 5 to 7 days starting on the 3rd Monday of June every year. This year 2023, it will be celebrated in between 19th to 23rd June 2023 to raise awareness of bladder and bowel problems, persistent pelvic pain, and other debilitating conditions that significantly impact patients and caregivers.

Importance of World Continence Week (WCW)

A research study reported in 2017, estimated 40 crore people worldwide are affected by urinary incontinence (UI). Elderly people and those with cognitive impairment have a very high risk of developing UI, as the prevalence increases with age. Around 6% or more of those under 40 years of age suffer from faecal incontinence (FI), which rises to 15% or more among the elderly. It has been claimed that 10% of women and 6-10 % of men in the community had both FI and UI.



There are various neurological conditions which are associated with an increased risk of incontinence in both genders, such as: 

• Parkinson's disease 
• Multiple sclerosis 
• Spina bifida 
• Stroke 

The health and financial costs associated with incontinence are substantially comparable to those associated with other severe diseases like arthritis and pneumonia. The negative effect of incontinence could result in various ways not limiting to: 

• Social stigma 
• Decreased employment and productivity at work
• Inability to participate in numerous paid and unpaid activities 
• Reduced quality of life

Medical problems involving the urinary tract and intestinal tract are commonly underreported and misdiagnosed because patients feel uncomfortable while discussing sensitive topics like bladder and bowel dysfunction. Fewer than 40% of people with urinary incontinence report to a doctor or nurse about it, and the number is significantly higher for bowel incontinence, according to surveys. While these illnesses have a significant impact on individuals' health, self-esteem, and quality of life, they have been insufficiently treated and poorly addressed by medical experts.

As a result, World Continence Week lays a platform to raise public awareness of these issues so that people affected by bladder and bowel continence step out from the taboo, feel more comfortable in discussing their condition and seek treatment, resulting in a better quality of life.

World Continence Week 2023 theme

This year, 2023, the World Continence Week 2023 theme is “Commitment to Collaboration in Continence Care”, with a goal to dispel harmful myths and misconceptions about continence problems globally. To achieve such a target, there is a need for a trustworthy and user-friendly forum for patients, their loved ones, caregivers, healthcare professionals, institutions (scientific and academic), industry, and all the patient advisory groups across the globe.

A one-day workshop titled "Commitment to Collaboration in Continence Care" took place in Madrid on November 25, 2022. The objective of the workshop was to establish the framework and parameters for collaborative work between patient organisations and international scientific societies (represented by ICS, EAU, and SINUG). This workshop laid the foundation for the continence awareness activities for 2023.

Participants at the meeting identified the following three initial areas for collaboration: 

• Increased patient, public, and healthcare worker access to trustworthy information about continence issues.
• Integrating the values of collaboration inside the organisations with the ultimate goal of influencing the transformation of both public and private healthcare systems to become more patient-centred.
• Educating the value of communication skills, shared decision-making, and patient-centred care to a wide range of stakeholders, including patients and caregivers, physicians and allied health professionals, policymakers, and funding organisations.

History of World Continence Week (WCW)

The first World Continence Week was first observed in 2009, hosted by the Simon Foundation for Continence. The International Continence Society (ICS) and Continence Promotion Committee (CPC), as well as many other organisations and people who are committed to enhancing the lives of those who live with incontinence, worked together to create the first World Continence Week programme in 2009.

Measures to stop urinary incontinence

• Ceasing smoking
• Exercising regularly, especially the pelvic floor exercises such as Pilates
• Reducing excess weight
• Avoiding lifting heavy weights
• Reducing intake of caffeine and alcohol
• Consuming six to eight glasses of fluids
• Avoiding spicy and acidic foods

Department of Urology