10 March 2022 03:31 am Views - 382
Dr. Hiranthi Wijemanne presenting her autobiographyto the UNICEF country Representative to Sri Lanka Mr. Christian Skoog
Dr. Hiranthi Wijemanne, a veteran in the public health sector and founding chairperson of the National Child Protection Authority spoke at an event organised by the British Council on her work in the fields of health, child care and child rights including her work at UNICEF. Her biographical book, ‘In the Best Interest of Every Child” was published recently.
Prevention is better than cure
With prevention methods, services and vaccines we were also the first country in Asia to eradicate Polio. Polio was very common, but with the campaign on getting mothers and families to give the vaccination, we were able to eliminate it. Where the pandemic is concerned, these past experiences that Sri Lanka has gone through with public health have been very useful. “I believe that prevention is better than cure. It’s cost-effective and easy,” said Dr. Wijemanne. “The chance of the child continuing to live a full life is a gift we can give them.” Our past experiences have really strengthened our medical services. This pandemic might not be the last health issue and maybe one of the many to follow. Therefore she thinks the key should be a greater emphasis on preventive diseases and epidemics. It’s not just looking after the individuals in hospitals but looking at the communities and particularly children. “For Sri Lanka to do well, we have to look after our children,” she said.
For children, the pandemic is a tremendous challenge. Dr Wijemanne explained that she has worked with children out there in the wilderness and it’s amazing if we can get them to come and tell them about some of the preventive health programmes they do. Children are very receptive and we need to engage them and their families on these prevention methods and the safety precautions. She explained that the media is vital. Most of her campaigns were made successful by the media.
The doctor explained that the maximum amount of human development and capacity to learn is established in early childhood. We have to keep stimulating the child’s mind during their early development period with good parenting practices. “Children in Sri Lanka are generally very intelligent and I’m sometimes amazed by them. But they can’t do it alone. Parents and families have to be involved.” she said.
What were the outcomes of the family health grant in Sri Lanka at UNICEF, what facilitated it and what impact has it had on access to health for children?
UNICEF is a unique organisation for children and it played a very important role. I had access to resources and we worked hand in hand with the government authorities, the family health workers, the midwives and the medical officers of health. I used to go to all these areas even during the dreadful time of the conflict because we thought we shouldn’t let the children suffer. We needed to continue with the services that they need and deserve. It was a good partnership we had. Even the forces helped us quite a lot in providing services. They were very active during wartime. It was unfortunate that Sri Lanka had to go through a war but on the other hand, we did not let down our children. Whatever services they needed, those were prepared. All in all, I was proud to be part of this team to make sure that health services wouldn’t suffer, family health would go on, infant mortality levels continue to be low and we did all those kinds of things to make lives better for the children of this country.
Start with the children
Every new child who is born needs particular services. She explained that the delivery has to be good, the mother has to be looked after, the services the child needs during their early development stages and even during adolescence should be given. Adolescents matter a lot too. “Age ten to eighteen is a very difficult period for a child and I’m afraid our adolescent services aren’t all that good. They should be strengthened.” Therefore all these components have to be put into place to build a better new generation of Sri Lankans. Many of the problems adults have, got their roots somewhere in their childhood. Maybe the parents had problems, domestic violence, nutrition problems or lack of education. We have to start with children. If the roots are strong, then the person becomes strong. More stress should be given on prevention. Because when things happen to a child, it’s too late for them. As an example, we need to prevent malnutrition. We can’t wait for malnutrition to manifest and then do something about it.
Adolescents have many difficulties that parents may not be aware of. They are stressed with education and there are lots of things that we need to look at. Sri Lanka is a relatively small country compared to countries like Africa. And when it’s a smaller and literate population, you can do a lot. The media can and has done a lot. I believe that the wealth of a country is not the skyscrapers and the buildings, it is the people of the country. If we do it right for our children, the people will turn out right and the country along with it. Unfortunately, children don’t have a voice and I’m talking on their behalf.
With prevention methods, services and vaccines we were also the first country in Asia to eradicate Polio
Convention on the rights of the child
The committee on the rights of the child is a body of eighteen independent experts that monitor implementations of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and there’s an optional protocol on a communications procedure that will allow individual children to submit complaints regarding specific violations of their rights under the convention.
Very few Sri Lankan children have been given the right to be able to express their opinion, Dr. Wijemanne pointed out. For example, corporal punishment. “We know it is a form of violence. You are not supposed to use corporal punishment even as a teacher or a parent. We suggest non-violent methods of discipline.” Discipline is important for children but not through the use of physical force. “If we focus on non-violent methods of punishment instead of corporal punishment and teach children in a different way, then I believe we can reduce the violence in our society,” Dr. Wijemanne said. Most of the things that we want to improve in our society have to start from childhood. You can’t start when you’re thirty or twenty-five. You can put the person into a jail cell but then what? That’s not the answer. I think there’s still a lot of work ahead for us to do and it’s not easy. But we should start somewhere.
Promote good parenting
Very simple things like cutting down their playtime, restricting some of their entertainment and forgoing some of their privileges. Childhood is the time when they absorb everything and using canes and such for punishment is very primitive. Time is valuable and you have to give time to your children even through a surrogate. Children need attention and they are helpless. The potential in a child is there. It’s just a question of doing right and nurturing and getting the best out of them so that they can take their face in society.
“Parents also have to realise that adolescence is a very difficult time,” Dr Wijemanne continued. Their hormones are raging, their bodies are changing, they face sexuality issues, there are certain things they can’t understand or feelings that they can’t control. Therefore it is important for parents to be given information on how they can talk to their children. Previously the public health system only had a few meetings to promote good parenting. Change from childhood to adulthood must be smooth and the child shouldn’t be shy. I must say that in many of the meetings I went to, all the adolescents had questions. Therefore knowledge on parenting is important for children and we should pay more attention to adolescents. Giving this information to the children is a part of child protection.
What was the significance of Polio eradication in Sri Lanka and what impact it had on our health services and our children?
It was a cost-effective and preventable disease. There are diseases that can’t be prevented but Polio was preventable. And I’m so glad and proud that Sri Lanka made that choice immediately with it. So many children who would have been crippled with a Polio leg were saved. Even accidents can be prevented with a good accident prevention programme. The point is that we as a country should focus as much as we can on preventive health because they have a long-lasting impact on children. Any vaccine or drug which can prevent disease should have a case in our society and once you get the disease, dealing with it is much more difficult and costly. In a country like ours where so many people are literate, it’s easy for us to give that information and build a healthy generation.