Ansell Healthcare Espresses Firm Commitment to Support Continued Education of Healthcare Professionals Worldwide

BRUSSELS - European Operating Room Nurses Association (EORNA) to Confirm AnsellCares(R), the Ansell Global Healthcare Educational Program, Accepted for Accreditation

Earlier today, Ansell Healthcare, the global leader in healthcare barrier protective solutions, has announced it has taken a further step in supporting the global healthcare professionals community in the area of continued education.

After receiving earlier confirmation of acceptance by its US counterpart (AORN), the AnsellCares(R) educational courses have now also received confirmation of acceptance by the European Operating Room Nurses Association. Focusing on infection control, allergy prevention, barrier protection and nursing procedures, the AnsellCares(R) courses perfectly link into the requirements of continued education for healthcare workers around the world. The Ansell educational courses are actually the first courses offered under the newly launched EORNA Accreditation Council for Education (ACE), and will be made accessible via a web-based portal under the EORNA Academy header.

The AnsellCares(R) self-study courses will initially be made available via the EORNA website. EORNA members will be offered logging in to EORNA Academy section of the website, and make their choice on the “offering” page. AnsellCares course content can then be accessed and downloaded. Tests will taken online, delivering final results and accreditation points through a EORNA ACE certificate.

“We are pleased to further extend our support to healthcare workers in Europe, by offering web-based educational courses,” says Irini Antoniadou, President of EORNA. “At EORNA, we wholeheartedly back the high quality and thoroughness of AnsellCares courses. They effectively package best practice for nursing professionals,” she continues.

AnsellCares(R) educational programmes have been approved by the American Association of periOperative Registered Nurses-AORN–since 2002. Ansell Healthcare clinical consultants (many Registered Nurses) regularly contribute to both EORNA and the American Association of Peri-Operative Registered Nurses (AORN) through publications and conferences.

“We are proud to be able to contribute to the initiative of offering healthcare workers the possibility to easily access and follow educational courses,” says Werner Heintz, Sr Vice President & Regional Director of Ansell EMEA. “It is very important to confirm our commitment for educational support to the healthcare community, and in particular the nurses who have a front line role in ensuring patient protection,” he continues.

The new EORNA ACE accepted AnsellCares courses will be presented at the EORNA international Congress (www.eorna.eu) which will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 17 - 19 April 2009.

About Ansell

Ansell Limited is a global leader in healthcare barrier protective products and is over 114 years old. With operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia, Ansell employs more than 11,000 people worldwide and holds leading positions in the natural latex and synthetic polymer glove and condom markets. Ansell operates in three main business segments: Occupational Healthcare, supplying hand protection to the industrial market; Professional Healthcare, supplying surgical and examination gloves to healthcare professionals; and Consumer Healthcare, supplying sexual health products and consumer hand protection. Information on Ansell and its products can be found at www.ansell.com or at www.ansell.eu.

About AnsellCares

The AnsellCares(R) international educational programme was established by Ansell Healthcare in 1992, in a bid to provide a safer working and living environment while promoting good health and well being. The programme consists of a series of on-line and off-line research and educational resources on infection control, hand hygiene and the prevention and treatment of latex allergies. AnsellCares(R) has adopted an advisory role on skin and personal protection issues for the healthcare professionals and at-risk populations, and comes endorsed by reputable independent allergy and medical experts from around the globe, including leading scientists, physicians, educators and researchers.

On-line AnsellCares(R) resources, delivered via courses, lectures, seminars, white papers and other multimedia content, are continuously updated, catering healthcare professionals with free-of-charge educational resources at www.ansell.eu/medical and at www.ansellhealthcare.com/temps/university/ansellcares/index.cfm

AnsellCares(R) is a trademark of Ansell Ltd. or one of its affiliates.

About EORNA

A non-for-profit association, the European Operating Room Nurses Association (EORNA) was founded in 1980, and today consists of 24 member associations, representing 50,000 Healthcare professionals. EORNA exists to enhance and develop perioperative patient care across Europe. It does so by promoting and maintaining a high standard of perioperative patient care; by being the influential voice of perioperative nurses in Europe; and by linking and collaborating with relevant European and international organizations. One of the EORNA’s most important educational activities is EORNA ACE, (www.eorna.eu/EORNA-ACE_a271.html?PHPSESSID= 3b4992228717335b0b5608d08b27e6a6) the Accreditation Council for Education. An overview of EORNA ACE is available from the website www.eorna.eu .

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Information for the Media : Wouter Piepers Ansell Ltd. - Director Global Communications Tel: +32-2-528-74-00 or +32-478-33-56-32 e-mail: wpiepers@eu.ansell.com

Source: Ansell Healthcare and EORNA

Information for the Media : Wouter Piepers, Ansell Ltd. - Director Global Communications, Tel: +32-2-528-74-00 or +32-478-33-56-32, e-mail: wpiepers at eu.ansell.com