Public health teams in North West target schools with 'hand washing message' to reduce absences
ITV Granada Reports journalist Jahmal Williams-Thomas talks to pupils at Lady Mount Catholic Primary School
Public Health teams in the North West are taking their "hand washing" message to schools to try to reduce infections and absences.
The new campaign Simple Things - Little Ones Can Keep Us All Well aims to remind children to wash their hands at key times such as after using the toilet, before eating and after coughing or sneezing.
A study by Champs Public Health Collaborative found:
74% of parents and carers had to take time off work to look after their poorly children in the last year.
41% say they often struggled with getting their children to wash their hands regularly.
62% said that they often catch illnesses from their children.
Professor Helen Bromley, lead Director of Public Health for Health Protection in Cheshire and Merseyside, who has gone into schools to talk to pupils said: “Our findings show that it’s impossible to avoid coming into contact with various germs in our daily lives.
"But it’s essential that our children continue to play at home and go to playgrounds and play centres, as these activities are an integral part of their wellbeing and development.
“Our latest campaign simply reminds parents to make sure their children wash their hands before eating and after the toilet to reduce the spread of colds and other bugs.”
"Washing them properly with soap and water is really important. It is simple but it is that back to basics that keep us well and protect others from getting ill".
Nicola Turner, Headteacher Lady Mount Catholic Primary School in Pensby, in Wirral said it is a key campaign to ensure pupils do not miss out on school.
She said: "All learning builds on prior learning so if the children have missed a day, they miss that prior learning and it makes it difficult for them to catch up. They also miss out on social opportunities with their friends.
"It also creates problems for their parents having to take time off work or call in favours for others to look after their children."
Research of swabs collected from places such as outdoor play areas, toys and soft play areas formed part of the study and found many types of bacteria including microbes often found in human faeces.
Dr Adam Roberts, Reader in antimicrobial chemotherapy and resistance at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), and his team conducted the research.
Dr Roberts said: “We cannot get away from the fact that we are surrounded by bacteria all day, every day – and it is important to remember that not all bacteria are harmful and that it is completely normal to find many different microbes on almost everything we touch.
“However, some of these microbes found on high-touch surfaces have the potential to cause infection, particularly in those who already have a weakened immune system or who are elderly, for example.”
Simple tips to encourage children to help stop of germs this winter
Set an example to younger children by ensuring they see you wash your hands before cooking, eating and after using the toilet.
Teach children how to sneeze or cough into the crook of their elbow instead of into their hands, explaining how tiny droplets of germs can transfer onto their hands
If you have particularly vulnerable relatives, such as grandparents who help with childcare, encourage your children to be extra vigilant with their hand washing when around them
If you’re visiting loved ones in hospital, make sure you are feeling well beforehand and that you and your children wash your hands thoroughly both before and after your visit.
Want more on the issues affecting the North? Our podcast, From the North answers the questions that matter to our region.