Philippine Red Cross Supports WASH Promotion Activities For Schoolchildren

Philippine Red Cross participated in Rotary International’s 2016 Presidential Conference on WASH in Schools, with PRC Chairman Richard Gordon and PRC Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang , together with PRC WASH Officers, Chapter Administrators, and other PRC staff.

Philippine Red Cross (PRC) joined other stakeholders in promoting awareness on the global water crisis and the importance of handwashing for children who usually fall prey to water-related diseases, during the Presidential Conference on WASH in Schools, organized by Rotary International last March 18-19, 2016 at the Marriot Hotel in Pasay City.

In the recently held conference, Gordon said that other than providing blood and assistance to disaster-related activities, PRC also focused in promoting hygiene, and improving access to water and sanitation facilities that could be utilized over a long period of time.

“Nowadays, children suffer serious illnesses that sometimes lead to death due to poor sanitation and access to safe water. Hence, we at the PRC continuously promote healthy practices in different communities especially among children, for them to acquire knowledge in hygiene and proper handwashing,” said Chairman Gordon.

Each year, more than 800,000 children under 5 years of age die due to diarrhea worldwide. This is mainly attributed to poor handwashing and insufficient sanitation facilities.

In line with its health programs and services, Red Cross developed a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion (WASH) Unit that aims to provide safe water and construction of sanitation facilities in schools to prevent children from getting diarrheal diseases. This also benefits displaced people, who during times of emergencies, often seek shelter in schools.

Through its vast network nationwide, PRC chapters also conducted activities in different schools that include handwashing demonstrations, information dissemination and distribution of antibacterial soaps.

Since 2010, the PRC has already supported 297 schools that reached 350,000 children nationwide, who actively participated in its hygiene promotion activities.

According to reports, more than 780 million people worldwide do not have access to safe water, while two-and-a-half billion people globally, live without access to proper lavatory facilities. Children are often seen as major carriers of infectious agents that might bring and transmit these to their household members.

Aside from Gordon, Pang also graced the WASH conference as a panelist where she talked about advocacy and education, and encouraged the Rotary to work with stakeholders including the Red Cross. Pang also stated the importance of hygiene promotion and community engagement as vital in achieving a successful implementation of WASH projects in communities and schools. (PNA) RMA/PR-PRC/EDS