Healthy environments crucial for children

Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Each year on April 7, the world celebrates World Health Day. On this day around the globe, thousands of events mark the importance of health for productive and happy lives.

This year, the theme for World Health Day is "Healthy Environments for Children". The millions of children that die annually from environmentally related illnesses could be saved through the creation of healthy settings, whether it be the home, the school, or the community at large. During this World Health Day, let's promote healthy environments for children.

Sandro took his wife and their six-year-old daughter, Ira, to visit his parents in Bogor, West Java. As the adults were chatting, Ira played alone in the rear garden.

A few hours later, the beautiful weekend turned into a disaster when her parents found her unconscious inside an empty well in the garden.

Children love to play. It's fun and educative because by playing, they explore their daily environment and learn of new things around them, using their senses: touch, sight, smell, taste and hearing.

Playing stimulates their creativity and motor skills, however, possible threats lurk even in areas that we think are secure enough for children to play in -- at home, at school and in the community.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a campaign, dubbed Safety Environment for Children for this year's World Health Day, on April 7.

While identifying six groups of environmental health hazards as household water security, lack of hygiene and poor sanitation, air pollution, vector-borne diseases, chemical hazards and unintentional injuries (accidents), WHO also said that security, stability, emergency preparedness and economic development were key to overcoming them.

However, it added, even in underdeveloped countries these risks can be significantly reduced.

Citing various survey results, chairman of the Asean Pediatric Federation (APF) Jose R.L. Batubara explained that falling, injuries caused by sharp objects, traffic accidents, burns, being bitten by pet/stray animals, food poisoning and having an object stuck in the mouth, nose or ears, were among the most common hazards due to unsafe living environments.

The pediatrician also said that children's activities should be carried out under the watchful eyes of parents at home and teachers in the school, both are children's primary environments.

As for questions like is the area located near a parking lot, busy street, a ditch, a pond, a garbage dump or is it properly ventilated or in need of repair should also be dealt with as anticipative actions.

At home, Jose added, apart from the use of safe toys, parents also need to ensure a healthy environment through proper ventilation (especially in garage and kitchen), good hygiene, and by keeping drugs, flammable objects and other hazardous solutions out of children's reach.

"Accidents like falling or choking on small objects, or having an object get stuck in the nose or ears at home can be prevented in the presence of an adult," the pediatrician said.

In the school, a properly ventilated and maintained school building, clean toilet and clean, safe playground is a must.

"Any playground is a good place for children to play and exercise but they also have to meet certain rules, like making sure that the ground is covered with sand or grass to prevent injury when falling and of course there should be adults watching them playing," he said.

School-aged children in general, Jose added, should be encouraged at home and in the school to adopt healthy behavior like eating a hygienic, balanced diet and to wash their hands with soap before meals.

"At this age children can be taught simple things and can learn what is right and wrong."

While in the community, keeping the neighborhood clean from garbage and stagnant water and other potential disease-causing elements is the key to a healthy playground and environment.

Ideally, each community should have its own playground.

"Unfortunately, this is not the case in Jakarta. We see children playing in the streets, putting them at risk due to (traffic) accidents," the pediatrician added.

While stressing the government's role in providing access to clean environment, water and ensuring the use of unleaded gasoline and periodic vehicle checks to ensure clean exhaust emissions, the pediatrician also encouraged community members to take an active role in cleaning up the streets and ditches in their own neighborhood.

"Concerted efforts, involving various parties, are needed to see to it that our children live and grow in a safe and healthy environment. But we have to start somewhere," Jose added.

Besides the role of community members and the fact that the government still has many other priorities, Jose said that law enforcers, health workers and NGOs concerned with health and children could make their contribution too.

City officials, for example, can uphold public order and restore public facilities like pedestrian areas and city parks.

"This way, children (and the public) don't have to brave the traffic when walking or playing.

"...and even though they may find TV and play stations interesting, a passive lifestyle can lead to weight gain. So encourage them to play in the playground with other children. It's a chance to improve their socialization skills and learn to respect other children's opinions," Jose said.