120 pupils take part in health, hygiene campaign

Penampang: About 120 pupils at SK St Theresa, Inobong participated in a pilot health and hygiene campaign organised by the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (Sabah) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Thursday.The primary pupils from year 4,5,6 were participants in a new concept called 'Health Promotion in School' (HPS) developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on hygiene and health activities where they participated in activities during the event including a role play of a family with dirty hygiene manners and family with clean hygiene manners.

According ICRC Sabah Office Head, Dominic Earnshaw, this is the first time they are doing this programme in the State together with the Red Crescent.

"The aim of the project is to raise the awareness among the children on the importance of hygiene and prevention of the spreading of infectious diseases with the idea that if you do it in a fun activity, it's easier to understand and take it home and discuss it with their parents and family."

This includes the message for them to wash their hands before eating, after eating, after toilets, after touching an animal, covering food before bring it to the table, to wear clean clothes, taking care of their personnel hygiene and defecate in toilets.

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"With children it's actually easier to give them the knowledge, with adults the habits are often already fixed. So the idea was that the children see the play where they can see the differences between a family that has good hygiene practises and a family that does not.

"This is so that if they get home they can tell their parents if something is not actually the best hygiene practise at home.

"Hopefully we would like to do this programme as well in other areas of the State particularly the more hard to reach rural areas in the mountains or interior areas.

"The idea is in the future in each area we come we can ask the Health Department and find out what disease and health problems are there and tailor the programme specifically to that area.

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"We hope to do this regularly with the different chapters of the Red Crescent in Penampang, Putatan and Kota Kinabalu and later on further on to other areas such as Tenom, Keningau, Nabawan etc."

Also present was ICRC Head of Communications and Public Affairs Jacqueline Fernandez, ICRC Kuala Lumpur Representative Richard Saddier and Aron Kual and Malaysian Red Crescent Sabah Branch Secretary Elizabeth Sikayun, Red Cresent Penampang branch Chairperson Datin Seri Celestina Jinu.

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