Healthy environments crucial for children

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.