On Saturday, the 27th of September 2014, over 100 italian cities and 12 countries from 5 continents, will celebrate the 4th edition of the World Day ˝Hundred Cities Against Pain˝, thanks to the initiative and organisation of ISAL Foundation (www.fondazioneisal.it).
Please see the message of PAE President for the International Day Against Pain HERE.
The aims of this celebration are to inform people about chronic pain treatments and pain centres, to raise funds for scientific research and to sensitize political and health institutions about chronic pain as a main public health issue.
In Italy, the chronic pain affects 12 million people (20% of the general population), with a strong negative impact on the quality of life, on professional life, and on direct and indirect costs to social life and health. As a matter of fact, it is estimated that every year, over one billion of working hours are wasted and around 2 billion Euros are spent in medical visits and treatments for chronic pain.
The World Day ˝Hundred Cities Against Pain˝ aims to emphasize that there is no reason for tolerating pain.
A very important Italian achievement is the enactment of the Law 38/2010, which guarantees the free access to the medical treatment for pain.
On the 27th of September, in the squares of the main italian cities, volunteers and medical doctors in white uniforms will inform the public about finding treatment for chronic pain, by distributing the guidebooks ˝The first aid kit for pain˝, developed by the group of experts fom ˝Change Pain˝. Some local goods, such as pasta from the old pasta factory Masciarelli, and entra-virgin olive oil by Fontedoro will be sold, and the funds raised will be used for scientific research.
Every person and every organisation can contribute to the World Day Against Pain, by joining the online campaign #zeropain. It is very easy:
1)Take a picture of yourself holding a paper with the writing ˝I’m against Pain˝ in your own mother tongue
2)Post this picture on Facebook, tagging the page of ISAL Foundation, or post it on Twitter and Instagram adding the hashtag #zeropain
Through this, ISAL hopes that the Italian experience of having the law 38/2010 that guarantees the free treatment of chronic pain can inspire other European countries.
