Safety first

Because six out of every 10 accidental deaths happen to Chinese children who are playing, US-based pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson is working in China on a Safe Kids program to prevent injuries and deaths.

"That's one of the key reasons that we work with Safe Kids Worldwide to carry out the Safe Kids Program to prevent children's injuries," says Chuang Jialong, general manager of Shanghai Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical (SJJP).

Since the Safe Kids Worldwide was set up in 1987 by Johnson & Johnson in the US, it has contributed to a nearly 40 percent decline in the child death rate from accidental injuries there. Learning from the successful experience, SJJP began the Safe Kids Program in China in 1999.

A recent survey conducted by SJJP and Safe Kids Worldwide China indicates that over half of the responding parents didn't know how to help their children keep safe and that half of the parents didn't know about their children's motor skills development at different ages. The survey covered 3,359 Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou's parents with children between infancy and 14.

"Injuries may occur when children participate in sports activities that are beyond their own abilities," says Monica Cui, Safe Kids Program manager with SJJP.

Additionally, more than 40 percent of the parents didn't know how to help their children to prepare well for sports activities. For example: they don't know how to have their children warm up or realize the importance of a playground-check before sports activities.

"Accidental injuries are preventable, but 88 percent of the respondents say (an accident) is inevitable, so increasing parents' awareness is very crucial," notes Cui.

To help correct the problems, SJJP and Safe Kids Worldwide China have been translating and editing safety education materials, sending them to parents free of charge, and delivering lectures in kindergartens, schools and residential communities for the last 10 years.

"By now, more than 800,000 Chinese children have received safety education; I am sure it helped reduce possible tragedies," says Chuang.

Currently, a special team led by Cui is traveling around 12 key cities of China to popularize child sports safety knowledge and offer free training for young parents.

Though SJJP declines to say how much it has spent on the program, it says the numbers in terms of money, staff and technology, is large.

"But it is worthwhile," says Cui, explaining that children are the future of China and children's safety and health are the basis and foundation of a families' happiness and harmony, and both of them are crucial to China - one the most important markets for SJJP's prosperity.

SJJP was set up by Johnson & Johnson in 1995 and specializes in manufacturing and development of over-the-counter medicines and health care foods and products. So far, its investment has exceeded $41 million.

"The Safe Kids Program is a long-term social cause for SJJP. As a pharmaceutical enterprise enjoying international fame, we will continuously provide health education service for the Chinese market, in order to improve Chinese consumers' self-care consciousness and life quality," says Chuang.

(China Daily 09/01/2008 page8)