Into the hands of children

I love everything about this video, this message, this PSA, this public-health information and this call to action. Everything.

What a world we live in now that a child/teen can be the carrier of such accurate and helpful information in their village or community, to their parents and loved ones. (How generationally appropriate, too, as the 19-and-Unders today are the “Helper” archetype in the realm of such discussions.)

Not too long ago, international (and national) aid workers wanting to share such public-health information would need to travel *in person,* often with significant impact on their personal comfort, into difficult circumstances vis-a-vis travel logistics and limited (or no) communication technology in order to have access to remote and rural people whom they hoped to influence and impact. Cultural misalignments and misunderstandings were high. Toes were stepped on, on both sides. Adoption was low. Frustrations were high, and government programs would, and then wouldn’t, get funding based on all kinds of complications.The process of “delivering aid” was — and often still is –cumbersome at best, with effects that are hard to measure and dollars and ROI hard to track.

But, really, I mean: WOW! A kid anywhere, in any town/village/city/whatever can be the carrier of this helpful, enjoyable-to-consume information. They can bring it, with ease, to people they love and care about, either by sharing the video and/or sharing not just the tips and information, but by modeling the behavior and holding themselves and adults accountable for this higher standard of cleanliness and good hygiene.

I remember reading in “The Checklist Manifesto” some good decade or more ago that in the medical and surgical world, they discovered that the most effective method for reducing infection, disease and death in and from the hospital was the surgeon and team washing their hands — every–single–time–without–fail — before surgery.

Kudos to the Global Health Media Project for such a well-conceived, brilliantly executed, very sharable bit of content and public health information.