Cold and Flu Season a Major Concern for Australian Mums:

The dreaded cold and flu season is a big concern for Australian mums, particularly those with school aged children. A survey conducted by the Global Hygiene Council revealed that one in six Aussie mums claim their main concern when their child is at school is the potential of picking up infections from other kids¹.

Schools can be a prime breeding ground for germs, and at this time of year most mothers worry about their children contracting seasonal colds and flu¹. According to the survey, one of the main worries is that a quarter of mums did not know when their child is made to wash their hands at school and only a third said that their child is made to wash their hands before lunch¹.

The global study, which surveyed 14,000 mothers of primary school aged children across 14 countries, found that while the majority of mothers are teaching their kids healthy hygiene habits at home, they are not being continued at school¹.

Professor Dominic Dwyer, Hygiene Council spokesperson and clinical researcher at the Centre for Infectious Diseases & Microbiology Laboratory Services, Westmead Hospital, says, “Cold and flu viruses are easily spread. Teachers and parents need to be extra diligent about hygiene if they want to stop children from becoming unwell, especially in the colder months. There are simple steps to stop the germs spreading and washing hands, and using soap is the single most cost-effective intervention to prevent infection².”

Children’s entertainer and Dettol Healthy Habits ambassador Tina Harris, who stars as Lah-Lah from Lah-Lah's Big Live Band, has created a catchy new song to encourage kids to wash their hands and stay healthy, especially during the colder months.

“With the cold and flu season upon us, now is a great time to remind little ones that healthy habits should be part of their daily routine, both at home and at school. Proper hand hygiene techniques are a great place to start, so we’ve composed a fun song that teaches children five easy steps for washing their hands effectively,” says Tina.

Dettol has also launched the annual Healthy Habits Schools Program to coincide with the cold and flu season. The free initiative, available to all primary schools in Australia to take up as they wish, has been specifically developed in partnership with the NSW Department of Education and Training to provide teachers with a range of curriculum aligned resources to help students stay happy and healthy.

Tina explains, “The program has been designed to make learning about healthy habits fun. Along with teaching the importance of personal hygiene and washing hands, the program has all the elements of a healthy lifestyle covered. Each topic has a range of activities, many of which are interactive for a truly engaging teaching and learning experience. Activities include simple experiments, song and dance, games and comic strips.”

For more information on the Healthy Habits Schools Program or to view Tina’s new handwashing song and dance, visit www.dettol.com.au/healthyhabits.

References
1 The Hygiene Council ‘Back to School Study’ 2012. Data available on request.
2 The Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing. The cost-effectiveness of handwashing. Access via: http://globalhandwashing.org/why/benefits