Safe Kids Week
June 14-20, 2009

Injuries are the 4th leading cause of mortality in the Philippines, with an estimated rate of 41 deaths for every 100,000 population (Philippine Health Statistics, 2004). However, among young Filipinos, it is ranked as the 1st leading cause of death. Data from the Philippine National Injury Survey and the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System revealed that drowning, road traffic accidents, falls, poisoning, and burns account for 59 deaths for every 100,000 Filipino child aged below 18 years. 

The impact of these injuries on society is appalling; families are deprived of their children and children who survived had to learn to cope with the consequences of their injury, which in some cases, can be both long-lasting and overwhelming.

Improving the knowledge and skills of key workers including parents, families and the community as whole was identified as one of the recommended strategic directions under the National Policy and Strategic Framework for Child Injury Prevention and Control (DOH Administrative Order No.2006-0016).

Accordingly, defining injury prevention as the practice of assessing and managing risk, leading to injury preventing behaviours, a safe-settings assessment tool was developed by the National Child Injury Prevention Partnership (i.e. DOH, DepED, CWC, DILG, DSWD, UNICEF, WHO and Safe Kids Philippines). The assessment tool was designed to engage stakeholders in determining if the environment where children live, learn, and play is safe for their growth and development – i.e.  the home, the school and the community. This would serve as an entry point for the individual, family and the community as a whole to establish a Safe Home, Safe School and a Safe Community. 

Based on the result of the field-testing of the Training Module on the Administration of the Safe-Settings Assessment Tools in Barangay Maliwalo, Tarlac City held last March 16-20, 2009; parents, teachers and community workers have developed the needed competencies to assess and manage risks, and most importantly practice safety promotion. It is further recommended that the pilot implementation of the safe-settings approach be expanded to other barangays, and eventually achieve city-wide coverage – i.e. Tarlac City. 

All these efforts entail a multi-sectoral approach. Hence, under the guiding principles of partnership and shared responsibility, we call upon all concerned agencies and potential allies to join in our common quest of reducing child injuries and improve the health of the Filipino child. Fittingly, pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 1307 declaring every 3rd week of June as National Safe Kids Week, Tarlac City in collaboration with the National Child Injury Prevention Partnership will spearhead the national launch on June 17, 2009. 

 The focus for this year is “INGAT BATA! Always Think of Child Safety: Safe Homes, Safe Schools, and Safe Community”. The message stresses that creating conditions conducive to injury prevention is the responsibility of all sectors (e.g. public works and highways, transportation, health, education, industry and others) and is affected by governments at all levels, the private sector, non-government organizations, families, schools, workplaces and communities.