Child Development and Public Health
The development of a child is greatly influenced by the public health and safety measures of his/her country. From the choices this week, I wanted to discuss breastfeeding because I am a breastfeeding advocate. But I saw that Hand washing Campaign was not in the list, so I decided to add it instead. Proper hand washing is very important to learn for all children since diarrhea is one of the leading causes of childhood deaths here in my country, which according to a UNICEF report, has killed over 70,000 Filipino children in 7 years. It is also stated in the article that proper handwashing will be able to reduce 44% of the incidence of death-causing diarrhea.To help with this, the UNICEF launched the first global day of proper handwashing in the country last September 2009. Teachers, parents, government officials and the public were encouraged to properly wash their hands with soap and water during critical periods like before eating and preparing food and after using the toilets, after sneezing and coughing.
During the endmic of Ah1n1 virus, various schools and institutions in the country also began integrating proper handwashing into their curricula and programs. We try to follow what the Center for Disease Control (CDC) suggests as proper steps in hand washing:
- Wet your hands with clean running water (warm or cold) and apply soap.
- Rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub them well; be sure to scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Continue rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song from beginning to end twice.
- Rinse your hands well under running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry.
Charts of proper handwashing techniques are now seen posted in schools, institutions, government agencies and public toilets. Below is an example of a poster found in a school in the country.
In our preschool, we have integrated proper handwashing procedures into daily activities to help ensure children will practice and internalize it. I believe that proper handwashing is essential in the prevention of diarrhea and spreading of viral infections. Thus, it is important for schools, in any country to implement proper handwashing in their own classrooms. Those in the rural areas should also be educated about its importance and benefits.
Sources:
http://www.topnews.in/health/unicef-launches-hand-washing-campaign-philippines-24387
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HandWashing/
posted by Elizabeth King Santos @ 7:04 AM
5 Comments:
Elizabeth, Your post was excellent! I agree with you, hand washing is a practice that affects children’s health. When I work in schools, I notice that children do not know to properly wash their hands to prevent germs and disease. Children typically just splash water in their hands and leave the restroom. I think that it is appropriate to not only teach advocacy for washing hands, but I also think it is critical to teach children how to wash their hands. I also loved how you incorporated research into your initial post. Unicef is a great organization. I also referenced them in my post for the week!
I truly enjoyed your post and appreciate your research and the clear way you presented the facts. I agree that hand washing is a simple and effective way to halt the spread of germs. For a while, we instituted a policy in our preschool asking parents to accompany their children to the sink and help them wash their hands before entering into play. Most parents complied (at first) but some did not. Their excuses ranged from being late for work, to insisting that their children had just washed their hands at home. It was unfortunate that those parents declined to model good hand washing practices for their children.
Elizabeth,
I glad to see UNICEF and other groups provided health care to children in poor countries. I just wanted to add that the Bill Gate's foundation is also providing health care to developing nations. I find that these initiatives benefit everyone because health care is universal.
I really enjoyed your post! Proper hygiene and hand washing is so important, especially in the early childhood section. One of the first things that I teach my kids is how to properly wash their hands, cover their mouths when they cough and to avoid putting their fingers in their mouth. Germs spread so quickly in the early childhood areas and so I think this issue is a paramount concern for all early childhood professionals and I definitely think it was a great topic to add. Great post!
Very powerful post. Although here in the United States the awareness for proper hygiene is everywhere but it doesn't mean that people are actually listening. It seems as though the little things should be something to make sure I take care of once I get into the classroom. Thanks for your wonderful post Elizabeth.
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