DOH-7: Handwashing is one of ways to save kids' lives

CEBU, Philippines - An official of the Department of Health said there are nine ways to save the lives of children, one of them is handwashing.

Juliet Tutor, regional nutritionist of the DOH, said handwashing is very important because it can help prevent diseases among the kids especially diarrhea, which, according to health studies, is the second most common cause of death in children

According to the World Health Organization, diarrhea kills almost 2 million children all over the world each year.

A UNICEF report indicated that more than 5,000 children die everyday from the diarrhea before they reach their fifth birthday.

Health officials said washing hands with soap can reduce deaths from diarrhea by almost 50 percent and deaths from acute respiratory infections by 25 percent.

Handwashing with soap is the single most cost-effective health intervention to prevent death and diseases that are related to diarrhea. It is one of the most coast effective ways to prevent diarrhea disease and it is also the cheapest way.

Handwashing with soap can save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention.

 “It started when the mother had her good nutrition during her pregnancy with the helping hand of a midwife,” said Tutor.

Aside from handwashing, she said other ways to prevent deaths among children is the newborn screening and breastfeeding. Newborn screening is important because it prevents the child to become mentally retarded and breastfeeding helps in the development and nutrition of a child with a complete immunization.

Micronutrient nutrition should be given also to the children as one of the Garantisadong Pambata interventions together with environmental sanitation and personal hygiene.

The Department of Health’s campaign on Garantisadong Pambata, which is scheduled from October 12-16, promotes ways to save the lives of young children. The event coincides with the celebration of the Global Handwashing Day on October 15.

Also, the DOH-7 and the United States Agency for International Development support the Global Handwashing Day with the hope of preventing the spread of A/H1N1 by drawing attention to the importance of washing hands with soap and water. — Johanna T. Natavio/WAB (THE FREEMAN)