Health board: Ireland ready for Medical World Cup

Ireland’s team of soccer playing doctors is seeking new team members and age is no barrier. “As medics, we tell our patients of the importance of physical exercise. The Medical World Cup team is a fantastic way to put this into practice,” says Dr Tommy Fitzgerald, a Dublin-based GP and team spokesperson. In 2017, the selected team will face counterparts from Venezuela, Canada, Catalonia, Lithuania, Ukraine, South Korea, Australia, Mexico, Austria, Denmark, USA, Germany, Brazil, Hungary, Sweden, Russia, Colombia, Great Britain, Belarus, Czech Republic and Uzbekistan at the Medical World Cup in Austria. More details on irishmedicalfootball@gmail.com.

Buteko practitioner and author, Patrick McKeon is holding classes for adults and children in Dublin, Cork and Galway this month. The Buteko Method is recognized internationally as a shallow breathing technique which helps improve conditions including asthma and sleep apnoea. For more details email info@buteykoclinic.com or call 091 756229

Trinity College Dublin has recently launched a new series of films which offer insights into the health and social challenges of people with an intellectual disability (ID). The films were made specifically for people with an ID and examine issues such as dementia, through direct interviews with people with an intellectual disability. The videos are available as DVDs by emailing dmccaus@tcd.ie or on You Tube.

Designing Public Health is the theme of a discussion at the Science Gallery, Pearse St, Dublin 2 on Thursday, January 19th at 6pm. Health psychologist Catherine Darker and designer Frank Long will talk about public health interventions and medical device designs that encourage behaviour change. Dublin.sciencegallery.com

An exhibition on Universal Design is on display at the National Museum, at Collins Barracks until June. The designs on show were co-created by students at the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) and people with disabilities who are highly skilled in the use of assistive technology. "The goal of this exhibition is to raise the profile of DIT students learning with the community through innovative co-creation," explains Bernard Timmons, lecturer in Universal Design at DIT. Siobhan Long of Enable Ireland adds: "This exhibition highlights the importance of universal design as a means to removing social barriers for people with disabilities." The exhibition will be officially launched on January 24.

sthompson@irishtimes.com