Johanniter International (JOIN), the international network of charities affiliated to the Alliance of the Orders of Saint John, has published the very first European First Aid Guidelines. These have been developed by JOIN’s clinical working group with participants from several European JOIN members.
The guidelines promote the importance of first aid in daily situations at home, at work, and in exceptional situations. Thus, they are not only intended for health professionals, but also for first aiders and for the general public.
St John strongly believes that promoting first aid is in the interest of the public. It saves lives and reduces the burden on the public health system. St John International is supporting its Associations to expand their first aid training in local communities through a social enterprise model.
While the guidelines are no substitute for a professional first aid training manual, they set up a European minimum standard in the field of first aid, designed to apply in every European country. Because they provide a solution to some cross-borders health issues, they foster international cooperation.
JOIN guidelines are available in fourteen European languages: Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, as well as in Arabic. They will be reviewed on an annual basis. Feedback and inputs from any health organisation will be considered with great attention.
For your free download of JOIN European First Aid Guidelines, go to: www.firstaidjoin.org
