World Health Day spotlights children
Today is World Health Day, one of those dates on the calendar that is supposed to arbitrarily prompt us to think and act on a subject that does not always come to mind. But this year’s observance, which focuses on children, is especially relevant to Belize, where, on almost a weekly basis, we seem to report on a fatal tragedy involving a child. News 5’s Jacqueline Woods has more.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
These are the faces of just some of the children who have died tragically over the past six months in incidents that could have probably been prevented. Statistics show one in every five children living in the world’s poorest countries won’t live beyond their fifth birthday, mainly because of diseases and other risk factors that exist in homes, at schools and in communities. In Belize, the National Organization For the Prevention of Child Abuse has become increasingly concerned about the safety of children.
Lorna McDougal, Executive Director, NOPCA
“Children dying as a result of fire in the home. These are children, who have been left alone unsupervised. We also see children drowning in buckets of water. This is a phenomenon that we have been dealing with year after year. We have on average about six children dying per year in that way. We know of children who are involved in accidents in the home because of chemical substances are left in their reach. Children ingest medication or Clorox, kerosene, that kind of thing.”
Equally disturbing is the number of children who have lost their lives or have been badly injured in road traffic accidents. Most of the serious cases involve children being knocked off their bicycles.
On Saturday evening, six-year-old Myra Pernillo opened her eyes for the first time after being unconscious for four days. Pernillo was knocked off her bike by a dump truck as she rode to school last Tuesday morning.
Desiree Myvette, Mother
“Well it was really exciting for me, you know. I feel so good you know, even though I know that I left everything in God’s hands and he is a miracle God, he can do miracles. But I was so relaxed when I see my little girl open her eyes. We showed her the balloons and she focussed on the balloons, it was so exciting.”
Today, Pernillo’s doctors remain optimistic and have even told Desiree Myvette that her daughter may be well enough to go home by this weekend.
Desiree Myvette
“She had a fractured skull, her vision had gone at that time, she had bleeding in one of her ears. But all of those have recovered. Right now she is really doing well, really doing fine.”
But as Myvette celebrates her daughter’s recovery at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, the family of Melanie Conorquie maintain a concerned vigil over their daughter. Twelve-year-old Conorquie remains in a coma after she was knocked off her bicycle on March first.
Health authorities say road traffic accidents are the leading cause of death in Belize. Today, that was just one of many issues discussed at a ceremony held to observe World Health Day. The day focused on promoting healthy environments for children.
Lorna McDougal
“We see children travelling in vehicles without seat belts; we have a seatbelt law, it needs to be enforced. We must bring about legislation that will protect our children, the time has come now where children need to be wearing seatbelts and helmets and those kinds of things. These are some of the situations that put our children at risk. We see adults driving with children in open pickup backs, standing.”
Myvette says as a result of her daughter’s near fatal accident, she will no longer allow Myra to ride her bicycle on the road, but also appeal to drivers to be just as careful.
Desiree Myvette
“That at least the driver in any vehicle, really be careful on the road while they see the children on the road. Because sometimes we big ones walking on the road and the trucks fly at you, you have to tek bush the way how the vehicles dem fly. They really noh respect people when they see them on the road.”
The Ministry of Health has been doing its part in trying to eliminate illnesses that affect children. Recently a lot of emphasis has been place on preventative care to help save young lives.
Jose Coye, Minister of Health
“We sense indeed that when it comes to the illnesses that we have been experiencing, the communicable diseases for example, and now the chronic diseases, is that we can indeed reduce them considerably as we are doing in the area of communicable diseases through immunisation, through the vector control programmes and the food and water safety programmes. So all these things in a sense are benefiting the children in terms of the environment.”
PAHO/WHO acting representative, Dr. Reynaldo Holder says it is important for the government and organizations to enforce a set of preventative measures to improve the environment in which children live, play and learn.
Dr. Reynaldo Holder, Ag. Representative, PAHO/WHO
“Sometimes simple things like the detergents and all those toxic agents that we have at home and are very attractive to young children because of the way they are packaged, may not seem to be hazardous, but we are calling attention to parents to be careful with these substances… The wrong disposal of waste and waste water that create conditions for mosquitoes, rodents and other vectors that are a hazard to children and their health.”
During the ceremony, a child safety campaign was launched to further protect children against health and environmental hazards. Jacqueline Woods for News 5.
A number of activities will be taking place throughout the week to promote a healthy environment for children.
