MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, Oct. 27 (PIA) --- Hundreds of officials and employees of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) as well as elementary school pupils demonstrated proper handwashing with soap as part of the region’s celebration of the 2015 Global Handwashing Day at the ARMM Compound in Cotabato City on October 26.
The region’s Department of Education (DepEd-ARMM), together with the Department of Health (DOH-ARMM), led the celebration.
Dr. John Magno, DepEd-ARMM secretary, said handwashing with soap is a low-cost but effective intervention to prevent hygiene-related illnesses among school children in the region.
“Handwashing with soap is a ‘do-it-yourself vaccine’ that prevents infections, and saves lives,” Dr. Magno said.
In the Philippines, diseases related to lack of hygiene, such as diarrhea and respiratory infections, are still the leading causes of illnesses and death among children.
The handwashing day bears the theme “Raise a hand for hygiene,” and was aimed at promoting handwashing and raising awareness on how to prevent hygiene-related illnesses.
Since 2011, the ARMM government, specifically the DepEd-ARMM, together with nongovernmental organizations, has been implementing Essential Health Care Program in 400 schools across the region, which focuses on daily group handwashing with soap, daily group toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste, and the bi-annual de-worming.
Meanwhile, the DepEd-ARMM, DOH-ARMM and the PhilHealth-ARMM signed a memorandum of understanding to rekindle the strategic mutual understanding among the agencies in the protection and promotion of children’s right to health. (BPI/APB/PIA-10)
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