World Continence Week 17-23 June 2024 | 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 2024, it will be celebrated in between 17th to 23rd June 2024 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 2024 theme

This year, 2024, the World Continence Week theme is “Shared Decision Making, Incontinence and Mental Health and Commitment to Collaboration in Continence Care.” This theme calls for increasing awareness worldwide about these conditions and eliminating stigmas and taboos through events, publications, press releases, and similar activities. The theme aims to provide accessible and reliable information worldwide for patients, families, caregivers, healthcare professionals, scientific and academic institutions, industry, and patient advisory groups.

Year- by- Year, the themes for World Continence Week

• World Continence Week theme 2023: Commitment to Collaboration in Continence Care
• World Continence Week theme 2022: Sustainable Continence Care
  

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