wfn.org | TCN: Presbyterian churches, Sinlau Hospital promote healthier lifestyles

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>      Taiwan Church News

>3005 Edition

>September 28~October 4, 2009

Presbyterian churches, Sinlau Hospital promote healthier  lifestyles

>Reported by Chen Wei-jian and Chen Yi-hsuan

>Written by Lydia Ma

Government and church organizations in Taiwan worked together  recently to

promote an environment free of betel nuts after medical research  in recent years

have proven betel nuts to be carcinogenic. Besides raising  awareness, they also

taught citizens how to do self-examinations of their oral cavities  regularly to

prevent illnesses. These events took place at local churches and  many

>aborigines, young and old, attended.

Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) Indigenous Ministry Committee,  Prevention

of Modern Diseases Association and the Taiwan Department of Health  teamed

up to organize these events. Central Bunun Presbytery also  participated by

holding a prayer and fasting meeting on September 24th at one of  its local

churches where more than 100 church members prayed for the health  of

>aborigines.

A seminar on oral health was held the following day at Salitung  Presbyterian

Church and it included tips on doing self-exams properly, video  presentations,

and testimonies of people who had successfully quit chewing betel  nuts. The

event drew more than 100 aborigines and over 30 local health  workers.

According to one church elder, the main goal of this ministry is  to encourage

people to regularly check their oral cavities and avoid  contracting cancer from

chewing betel nuts. Though chewing betel nuts is part of aborigine  culture, health,

government, and church agencies hope aborigines can be  sufficiently informed

on the negative effects of this habit so that it doesn’t  become an addiction and its

use can be limited to special cultural festivals.

Local health authorities hope that churches can become channels  educating

elderly aborigines so that these seniors will in turn transform  aboriginal

reservations through their influence and leadership. Health  officials have also

noted that churches are more effective at drawing large crowds  when hosting

>these kinds of informational meetings.

In other news, Sinlau Christian Hospital teamed up with its  neighboring

communities to promote a smoke-free environment and raise  awareness on the

dangers of second-hand smoke. Organizers gathered on September  15th

outside of a nearby Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corporation branch and

campaigned for smoke-free commercial areas. They set up bright red  banners

displaying “Smoke-Free Commercial Districts” and also  encouraged people to

>quit smoking.

Sinlau Hospital’s chaplaincy department gave a song offering  before the

hospital’s Associate Superintendent Wu Tung-bi gave a speech  urging people to

refrain from smoking at home and in public places for the sake of  their own health

and the health of their loved ones and encouraged them to create  an improved

>dining and shopping environment for all.

Organizers also divided themselves into two teams and took  different routes to

raise awareness on the dangers of cigarette smoke near the  hospital’s

neighborhood. They brought along stickers and flyers to distribute  to stores and

>residences along the way.

According to WHO statistics, smoking is one of the top reasons  leading to

premature death among adults. Wu hopes this event will raise  awareness on the

dangers of smoking and prevent people from becoming addicted to  cigarettes or

>becoming victims of second-hand smoke.

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