Miss Siobhan Connolly^1,2, Dr Helen Douglas^2,3, ANZBA Prevention Committee²

¹ACI Statewide Burn Injury Service, , , ²ANZBA Prevention Committee, , , ³State Adult Burns Unit, Fiona Stanley Hospital, ,

Abstract:

Background

The ANZBA Burn Prevention Committee have members across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. It is tasked with leading burn prevention activities throughout these areas, but during COVID isolation and restrictions made this challenging.

Methods

Burn prevention initiatives are challenging at the best of times but throw in a pandemic and challenges increase significantly. Face to face prevention activities like stalls at baby expos and easter shows were not possible for many areas and thus like many we looked to virtual. The Committee utilised social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, posting messages, videos, factsheets and posters to provide messages of burn issues.

Discussion

With the significant periods of lockdown and restrictions in much of Australia and New Zealand during the last two years during the pandemic providing burn prevention was challenging. Utilising social media and virtual platforms assisted providing messages, information and warnings.

Afterall newspapers and letters are a thing of the past, social media and internet are the information mine now!

Biography:

Siobhan has been working in burns for 25 years.

She has completed a Masters of Nursing Science (Burns Nursing) and is currently a PhD candidate with UNSW.

She is Chair of the ANZBA Burn Prevention Committee and a member of the ANZBA Board.