Society Commemorates World First Aid Day

youth of the Addis Ababa branch of ERCS sensitized the participants on First Aid and its importance through a short play The Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) commemorated World First Aid Day (WFAD) on September 14, 2013 under the theme First Aid and Road Safety. Upon opening the half day ceremony to mark the day at the ERCSs Training Center in Addis Ababa, Dr. Solomon Ali, Deputy Secretary General for Branches and Resource Development, said that this years theme for WFAD coincided with the efforts geared towards curbing the road traffic accidents that cause the death and injury of millions of people around the world each year. Dr. Solomon disclosed that apart from marking the day each year along with its partners and volunteers, the Society has been working to bring about attitudinal change and raise the awareness of the public on first aid. ERCS mainly renders first aid trainings for volunteers, institutions and interested individuals that could save lives and injuries sustained, he added. He also highlighted the need for first aid training in each household. Country representative of The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies(IFRC) in Ethiopia, Mr. George Gigiberian noted that first aid is usually about saving lives. Concerning the road traffic accidents, Mr. Gigiberian emphasized the need for attitudinal change and being careful to respect and save lives. He further stressed the role of volunteers in first aid and overall activities of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement. On the occasion, research papers on Pre-hospital Emergency Care and Addis Ababa City Road Traffic Accident prepared by Addis Ababa Road Transport Bureau and Ministry Health were presented respectively. Also in commemorating the day, youth of the Addis Ababa branch of ERCS sensitized the participants on First Aid and its importance through a short play. Participants of the commemoration volunteered to donate blood. The IFRC introduced WFAD in 2000, and each year, more than 100 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, including ERCS, organize events and ceremonies on the second Saturday of September to raise public awareness of how first aid can save lives in everyday and crisis situations.