Diarrhoea
100 Healthy Messages for Children to Learn and Disseminate to Yourself is a simple, reliable health education message designed for children ages 8-14. So it includes adolescents aged 10-14 years. We think that it is especially helpful and important to provide information to all these 10-14 year old boys and girls because boys and girls of this age usually take care of the little ones in their family. Also, the way they are helping their families needs to be recognized and appreciated.
These 100 messages have been created with 10 messages for each of the 10 main topics about health. Topics include: malaria, diarrhea, malnutrition, colds and illnesses, intestinal worms, water and sanitation, vaccinations, HIV and AIDS, and accidents, injuries, and early childhood development. These simple health messages can be used by parents and health educators for the benefit of children at home, at school, in the club and at the clinic.
Here are 10 messages on Diarrhoea:
- Diarrhoea is a watery bowel movement three or more times a day.
- Diarrhoea occurs when germs enter our stomach through eating contaminated food or drink, or by entering dirty hands or using unclean spoons or cups.
- As water and salt (liquid) come out of the body, the body becomes weak. If the leaking fluid is not replaced, diarrheoa due to lack of water can result in the death of the baby very quickly.
- Diarrhoea can be prevented with very safe drinks like pure water, coconut water or rice foam. Babies need breast milk the most.
- A child with diarrhea may have dry mouth and tongue, stuffy eyes, tearlessness, loose skin, and cold hands and feet. There may be a slight softening on the top of the baby's head.
- All children who have a bowel movement more than five times a day or children who have blood in the stool or vomit should go to a health worker.
- The whole point of ORS is oral rehydration solution or oral rejuvenation fluid. ORS is available in clinics and drug stores. Make the best drink for diarrhea by mixing it with the right amount of clear purified water.
- Most diarrhea medications are not effective for children, although zinc tablets can cure diarrhea in children over 6 months of age. Also ORS drinks must be given.
- Young children suffering from diarrhoea need to be given delicious and soft food frequently to increase their strength.
- Breastfeeding, hygiene, vaccinations (mainly to prevent rotavirus and measles) and keeping food safe can help prevent diarrhoea.
Diarrhea: What can children do?
- Create your own diarrhea message using your own words in our own language!
- Memorize messages so we can never forget them!
- Share messages with other children and family members!
- Create a simple fly trap to keep germs away from our food.
- Make posters to help others recognize the dangerous symptoms of diarrhea.
- Write a short play about when you need to call a health worker for help.
- Create a snake and ladder game to help you learn how to prevent diarrhea.
- Make a first aid kit that will contain ORS at home and at school.
- Show a conversation between two mothers about how to cure diarrhea in children.
- Play the game of labeling a picture of a child with diarrhea to check how far we know the symptoms of diarrhea.
- Notice what water the plants need to grow - find out what happens to the plants when they don't get water.
- Help prevent diarrhea by keeping ourselves and the environment in which we live clean.
- Play a handshake game to find out how quickly germs can spread.
- Ask how long our parents have been breastfeeding. How do we treat diarrhea at home with ORS and zinc? What are the danger signs from which we understand that we need the help of a health worker? Which drinks are safe for us in case of diarrhea? How to purify drinking water using sunlight? Which drinks are safe to drink without ORS? What are dysentery and cholera and how do they spread?
Some hands-on work was mentioned so that the children could better understand the subject and spread it among others.
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