The Department of Health Calabarzon Regional Office recently conducted the first symposium and workshop in Tagaytay City on “Child Injury Prevention at Home, in School and Community” to protect, prevent and address issues concerning injury, accident and physical harm to children.
“We need to immediately address the growing incidence of violence and injury among children and provide appropriate and timely management to address deaths caused by unintentional injury,” DOH Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo said.
“No children should die from any injury because it is preventable and often result from anticipated events,” he stressed.
“Through support and collaboration of our stakeholders we can employ solutions that and work together to prevent these pointless accidents to our children, their families, and to communities” he said.
It is important that everyone must know how to differentiate between safe and unsafe environment for children and determine the extent of the problem regarding child and adolescent injuries at home, school, and community, Janairo said.
According to the 2018 Online National Electronic Injury Surveillance System Calabarzon recorded the highest injury occurrence in the country during the third (21.1 percent) and fourth quarter (16.4 percent). Macon Ramos-Araneta
Among the most common type of injury sustained was open wound/laceration at 18,693 (43%), abrasion at 12,545 (28.9%) and contusion at 6.057 (13.9%).
From a total reported case of 15,219 in the fourth quarter of 2018, occurrence of injuries among children less than 1 year is at 3.6%; 1-4 years old at 21.4%; 5-9 years old at 26.2%; 10-14 years old at 19.9%; and 15-19 years old at 28.9%. A total of 66.7% is male and 33.3% is female.
Among the top causes of injuries are unintentional/accident (81.4%) and intentional/violence (17.2%). Top perpetrators of child injury and physical abuse are neighbor and parents, especially the father.
In 2008, the World Health Organization regarded violence and injury as a major public health concern and is responsible for about 950,000 deaths in children and young people under the age of 18 years yearly worldwide. Common injuries among children aged 1-19 years old occurs at home, road street and public buildings.
Unintentional injuries are common among boys at 54% than girls at 35.2%. Male children less than 15 years old are more prone to injury deaths at 24% than females. These injuries include motor vehicle-related, suffocation, drowning, poisoning, fires/burns; falls and sports and recreation.
Evelyn Dela Torre, Regional Outcome Manager for Child Prevention and Injury said that the symposium and workshop are intended to align priorities, to fill gaps and start feasible evidence-based interventions across the region that will result in the reductions in death and disability of childhood injuries in families and society.
These interventions include understanding the implications of different injury prevention strategist for future applications within the respective agencies and communities, identifying and discussing strategies about child abuse for prevention, intervention, and treatment and practice triaging and field management skill on the mass-casualty management system.
More than 100 stakeholders involved in child injury program attended the symposium and workshop which includes the Department of Education, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Labor and Employment, Public Information Agency, Department of Transportation and Communication, Department of Tourism, UNICEF, WHO, Philippine National Police, Government and Public Hospital, Municipal Health Officers, Public Health Nurses, Provincial Health Team Office, Provincial Health Office, City Health Office, Rural Health Units.