CLEAN ENVIRONMENT RIGHT OF CHILDREN
– SUSHMA SWARAJ
WORLD
HEALTH DAY OBSERVED TODAY
Union Minister for
Health & Family Welfare Smt. Sushma Swaraj has said that for
a healthy environment to sustain, it was essential that policy
planner in Government used child psychology as a medium of communication.
Initiatives could never succeed, until and unless awareness was
created in the young minds. In the past, environmental related
health campaigns had succeeded whenever children were associated.
Smt. Swaraj stated this at a function to mark the observance of
World Health Day today.
Elaborating further
the Minister said, teenage perceptions and lifestyle today had
drawn children away from physical activities. Today entertainment
in the young minds was limited to video games, internet, computer
related activities. This created high stress levels among children
which subsequently hindered their physical and mental development.
It was imperative for children to cultivate the culture of earning
a healthy living. In this day & age of consumerism, healthy
living could not be bought by money. Social development of children
could only take place if societal parameters induce them to adopt
healthy living practices. This was a challenge for all key constituents
within the policy planning framework..
Earlier, Chief
Minister of Delhi Smt. Shila Dikshit highlighted initiatives where
children had been associated to create the culture of awareness
amongst the people of Delhi. The Chief Minister specially referred
to the campaign against crackers and plastic bags. The WHO Director
General Dr. Bruntland outlined the parameters for sustaining a
healthy environment development amongst the young children.
World Health
Day is being observed today on the theme ‘Healthy Environment
For Children’. At the function today around 5000 children representing
various Delhi schools participated. The children also presented
skits and street plays to highlight the importance of environment
in the lives of children.
