Welcome to HVWSHE

Ms. Ng Khar Thoe
(Specialist, Research and Development Division, SEAMEO RECSAM)

Ms. Tan Huey Ning
(HVWSHE National Focal Point, Curriculum Development Centre,
MOE Malaysia)

Objectives of plenary discussion session for Thematic Strand 2: “Water for Health, Sanitation and Recreation”

•To understand conceptually the meanings of “health”, “sanitation”
and “recreation” and the importance of water for “health,
sanitation and recreation” as essential elements stated by World
Health Organization in the principles of “Primary Health Care”.

•To gain an overview of how does water affect health and sustain
lifelihood with the understanding of the interrelationships and
interactions among water with “health, sanitation and recreation”

• To gain an awareness of various issues, exemplary practices
and research findings by scientists and/or researchers in
GOs/NGOs/industries related to Thematic Strand 2 from
the aspects of Science, Mathematics and Social Sciences.

• To gain an overview of HVWSHE exemplary practices with
integration of values in Thematic Strand 2.

• To adapt the knowledge and understanding in Thematic
Strand 2 as well as the HVWSHE resource materials
available into the existing curriculum in SEAMEO countries.

• is essential health care made universally accessible to individuals and familities in the community by means acceptable to them, through their full participation, and at a cost that the community can afford.

• is the first level of contact of individuals, the family and the community with the national health system, bringing health care as close as possible to where people live and work.

• is concerned with the main health problems in the community, providing promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services accordingly.

• includes at least the following eight essential elements of health care :

1.Education concerning prevailing health problems and the methods to identify, prevent and control them.

2.Promotion of food supply and proper nutrition, an adequate supply of soft water and basic sanitation.

3.Maternal and child health care, including family planning.

4.Immunization against the major infectious diseases.

5. Prevention and control of locally endemic diseases.

6.Appropriate treatment of common diseases and injuries.

7.Promotion of mental health.

Tortora, G.J. and Anagnostakos, N.P. (1990). Principles of Anatomy and
Physiology. Sixth Edition. HarperCollins Publishers.

With the solvating property and as a suspending medium, water is essential to health and survival.

E.g.(a) If the surfaces of the air sacs in our lungs are not moist (i.e. no water),
oxygen cannot dissolve and therefore cannot move into your blood to be
distributed throughout our body.
(b) Water is the solvent that carries nutrients into and wastes out of our
body cells.
(2) As a suspending medium, water is also vital to our survival:

E.g. Many large organic molecules are suspended in the water of our body cells.
These molecules are consequently able to come in contact with other
chemicals, allowing various essential chemical reactions to occur.

Health Education : An important aspect for the
prevention and control of illness and disease (cont'd)

Balanced diet is the diet consists of all classes of food groups (i.e. carbohy-drates, protein, fat, vitamins, mineral salts, fibre and water) in right/correct amount, proportion or ratio, appro-priate or adequate/ enough to maintain good health and prevent certain illness. Good nutrition translates to daily good health and a high level of energy. Eating foods in variety, regular, balance and moderation ensure that the nutrient and energy requirements of our body are met with minimal excesses. Our body requires over 40 different nutrients in all food groups.

Drinking at least 8 glasses of water is important in helping our cells remove waste, cooling our body and replenishing moisture content within our body.

Excessive drinking of water can also be lethal or causing death as too much water will flush away body’s vital chemicals and cause death as a result of water intoxication (a condition whereby blood was found to be diluted and body salts are destroyed in a process called hyponatraemia).

… Also the way we prepare food can also cause the loss of certain amounts of nutrients. For example…

One must understand while cooking that various vitamins may be lost due to “heat, light, air, water, acid, alkali, etc.”. For example,

(1) Vitamin E is not soluble in water,
(2) Vitamin B are all water soluble,
(3) Vitamin C is water soluble and are readily destroyed by air.

(1)“Sanitation” means arrangements to protect public health, especially for the efficient disposal of sewage (Hornby, 1974). Examples are proper use of sanitation facilities such as toilet or latrine for human’s “elimination” activities, drainage, treatment of wastewater and sewage or drainage-basin (area drained by a river or system of drains), etc.

(2) Research shows that “sanitation” facilities have major impact on environmental health. Improper treatment of wastewater and water supply contamination are major causes of epidemic diseases such as cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, etc.

- Refer article “Sanitation Teething Problems of Basic
Household Wastewater and Sewage Treatment Outdated
Approaches” by Prof.Dr.Sivalingam.

(1) “Recreation” means (form of) play or amusement; refreshment of body and mind; something that pleasantly occupies one’s time after work is done (Hornby, 1974).

(2) Functionally,recreation is the natural expression of human interests and needs seeking satisfaction during leisure. The most used definition: “Recreation is the worthy use of leisure (freedom from the demands of work or duty)”. Recreation is value derived. It contributes to mental health, physical well-being, creativity, personality development, satisfaction, self-assertion, pleasure, etc. In sociological terms, ‘recreation’ includes many types of activities which are undertaken for their own sake and not for any reward or goal beyond themselves, and which are relatively free, spontaneous, and enjoyable. Such activities are motivated primarily by interest and give more or less immediate satisfaction, and has no ulterior purpose. It might involve a tremendously broad set of possible interests that range from sports, hobbies and social cultural interests, to mathematical, scientific or exploratory involvements. (Trant, et al., 1980; Shivers, 1981; MOEBC, 1986).

Although water is essential for sustaining healthy living, it can also be the causes of health hazards. For example, as a dangerously good conductor of electricity, water may cause the risk of a shock if handling appliance with wet hands.

Other water related health hazards are such as drowning and hypothermia (the condition whereby body temperature falls below 35oC).