The second Saturday in September is celebrated around the world as World First Aid Day. Its purpose is to raise awareness of the need for first aid knowledge and skills to save lives, as well as to make them accessible to everyone.
The theme for this year's World First Aid Day is the availability of first aid in schools for all children, both in remote communities and in capitals, entitled ‘Be a Hero in Your School and Community’. Children, teachers and parents need to master this knowledge in order to be better prepared, resilient, and help their loved ones when needed.
In this connection, the Armenian Red Cross Society will organize awareness-raising events and demonstration courses in schools and public areas of Yerevan and Armenia’s province within September. The events will start on September 10 in Syunik, Lori and Shirak.
According to the World Health Organization, 950,000 children die each year as a result of injuries.
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About 90% or 830 thousand of those deaths are caused by accidental injuries: domestic accidents, drowning, burns, accidents.
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Substances found in and around the house often cause poisoning. More than 45,000 adolescent children die from poisoning every year, that is, about 123 children a day.
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Road accidents are the leading cause of death for children aged 10 to 19. Every year more than 260,000 children die from road injuries, about 718 children a day. About 10 million receive non-fatal injuries.
The First Aid has been one of the strategic directions of the Armenian Red Cross Society (ARCS) for many years.
ARCS is the only country in the country that conducts training in accordance with the standards of the European First Aid Advisory Center for different age groups in order to reduce the vulnerability of the population to emergencies and accidents. The specialists of ARCS First Aid Training and Methodological Center provide first aid services during mass events, as well as programs aimed at educating children about safe behavior.
National companies train more than 20 million people worldwide each year. The Armenian Red Cross Society conducts 83% of all first aid courses in Armenia.
