Illuminating iconic landmarks in purple is an elegant way to raise awareness of the families affected by premature births. Špilberk Castle in Brno will join communities and homes across the world by lighting up in purple from 5pm on November 16 to 2am on November 17. Photo credit: @BrnoDaily.
Brno, Nov 13 (BD) – World Prematurity Day (WPD), which takes place on November 17, is a global event to raise awareness about prematurity, highlighting the problem of preterm birth. The initiative was launched in 2008 by the European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI) and European parents’ organisations. According to the WPD website: “Purple is the symbolic colour of WPD, representing sensitivity and individuality, two of the characteristics of premature infants. A popular way to spread the word is through the purple illumination of landmarks such as the Zakim Bridge in Boston, Massachusetts, home of the National Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program Training Center.”
Various events, including the illumination of important landmarks in violet, will help to bring attention to the efforts and concerns of all those involved in premature births, including medical staff, parents of premature babies, and preterm babies themselves.
The Empire State Building. November 17, 2017. Source: Twitter.
The @EmpireStateBldg is shining brightly tonight over New York City for #worldprematurityday! Thank you Empire State Building for bringing attention to this global health crisis. pic.twitter.com/z4KafZ8lRK
— March of Dimes (@MarchofDimes) November 18, 2017
World Prematurity Day has been marked in the Czech Republic since 2010 thanks to Nedoklubko, a member of the European EFCNI. The Neonatal Department of Faculty Hospital in Brno and the City of Brno support the movement.
In the Czech Republic over 9,000 children are born prematurely every year. The Neonatal Department at Faculty Hospital in Brno treats 6,500 newborns, of whom 700 are born prematurely. “The priority of the Neonatal Department at Faculty Hospital in Brno is to reduce fatalities and the health consequences of perinatal risk, and to ensure the constant contact of parents with their child,” wrote Ivo Borek, head of the Neonatal Department at Faculty Hospital in Brno, in an official statement.
In Brno, an exhibition entitled “Fragile Fighters” will run in Jiří Mahen Library from November 19 to December 7, 2018. Photos from the BADU studio will depict the tough fight for life of preterm babies during their hospitalization at the Neonatal Department.
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