Our children - precious yet defenseless

Child Protection Week 24 - 30 May 2010

"Children are precious yet defenceless.  They look to adults for safety and security and deserve to be protected and looked after by their parents, extended families and communities."

Most of us believe this and yet there are so many children in South Africa that inadvertently hurt themselves or are hurt by others. This month, from 24 May to 30 May 2010 we will once again be celebrating National Child Protection Week, an annual campaign led by the Department of Social Development in partnership with a number of other government departments and civil society organisations. The goal of Child Protection Week is to promote a culture of respect for the rights of children while ensuring that all children grow up in an environment that is safe from abuse, neglect and exploitation.

As part of the Government Employees Medical Scheme's (GEMS) ongoing effort to educate our members - and future members - on a range of topics, we would like to provide you with some practical tips to ensure that the children of South Africa remain safe at all times.

According to a fact sheet produced by the Children's Rights Centre more than three South Africans drown on average per day - over a third of these drownings are of children under the age of fourteen.  Another major cause of death in young children is accidents like poisoning, burning and road accidents with children between the ages of 7 and 12 the most vulnerable. Emergency services also report that many children are also injured in their homes, where one would expect them to be safest.

So many so-called ‘accidents' are actually the result of a child being neglected and left to their own devices. Small children have not yet learnt what is dangerous and what is not and can end up crossing busy roads or playing with dangerous exposed electrical wiring, chemicals, and tools.

Water is extremely dangerous and many children are drowned every year. It comes as a surprise for many people to learn that children under the age of around three years of age can even drown in a bucket of water.

The first and most important rule in taking proper care of a child then is to make sure that they are properly looked after and supervised. Children should never be allowed out of the sight of a responsible adult. The younger the child the more closely he or she needs to be supervised. Children should not be allowed to wonder off on their own or go anywhere with strangers. They need an environment that protects them from injury, violence, abuse and exploitation.

Considering that so many accidents happen in the home, it is vital to make it as safe for children as possible. The following are some tips to help you achieve a safer home:

• Swimming pools and fishponds should be properly fenced off and children kept away from the water as they can so quickly fall in and drown.
• Do not leave buckets or other containers of water lying around.
• Keep all dangerous chemical solvents, paints, insecticides etc out of reach.
• Electrical wiring should be made safe and all plug sockets covered.
• Never leave hot water taps running or hot baths unattended.
• Make sure to use safety glass when installing large glass doors and make sure the glass can be seen through the use of stickers or decals.
• Store knives and other dangerous objects out of reach.
• Ensure that guardians and the family know emergency telephone numbers, so that help can be called for quickly.

If you would like to know how GEMS can assist you to obtain more information about any of your healthcare needs or questions, you can phone the GEMS call centre on 0860 00 4367 or send a SMS to 083 450 4367. GEMS will assist you in every way possible to ensure your health and wellbeing.

Martina Nicholson Associates