28 August 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Child Safety Month: Children need your help to prevent burn injuries

In August, Child Safety Month, the Western Cape Government Department of Health and Wellness and its partners appeal to adults to take precautions to reduce the risk of burn injuries. Being watchful and proactive in your home can be lifesaving – especially in colder months when even more babies and young children are affected by burn injuries at home.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) burns are a leading cause of death among children worldwide, with most burn-related deaths in low- and middle-income countries. The rate of child deaths from burn-related incidents is significantly higher in low- and middle-income countries, compared to high-income countries. South Africa and other low- and middle-income countries face a disproportionately high burden of burns among children. Factors that contribute to burn injuries include living conditions, a lack of adult supervision and a lack of awareness about potential hazards in the home.

The department recently launched a 3-year special project to strengthen the care of children in the Cape Winelands East who sustained a burn injury. We are proud to work on this project that is focussed on Worcester and Ceres with the Children’s Hospital Trust, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital (RCWMCH), the Harry Crossley Children’s Nurses Development Unit (CNDU) and the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Trust (UK).

Each year approximately 400 children from the Breede Valley, Drakenstein, Langeberg, Stellenbosch and Witzenberg areas sustain a burn injury. These burn wounds are often due to a child accidentally being scalded by hot liquids in the home. Emergency and follow-on care is provided at local healthcare facilities, but approximately 340 patients annually need to be transferred to the RCWMCH by ambulance for further in-patient or out-patient management. This places considerable financial and employment stress on families in addition to the already stressful nature of the injury.

In response to the challenges, the special project aims to strengthening communication and referral pathways, improving local facility infrastructure and resources, and upskilling health professionals. With this intervention in the Cape Winelands East region, young patients can receive even better care locally, reduce the need for specialist intervention in Cape Town and ultimately promote better outcomes.

“The Children’s Hospital Trust remains committed to expanding and providing access to high-quality child healthcare services for children through the RCWMCH. The burns service at the hospital is one of the busiest services in the hospital, with children and their families travelling long distances to get to the hospital. Childhood burns inflict not only physical wounds but also profound emotional scars, often leading to tragic consequences,” says the Chief Executive Officer of the Children’s Hospital Trust, Ms Chantel Cooper. Children may need referral to other levels of care and if there are delays in appropriate care, there is an increased risk for infections and the recovery time could be prolonged. “It also places undue strain on families already grappling with immense challenges. With the Burns Project we want to strengthen burns services for children in the Western Cape to ensure earlier intervention, improve overall outcomes and reduce the burden on families who do not reside near Cape Town. We are grateful to all our donors who continue to give to this R18 million project,” says Cooper.

Mrs Madelein Bester, one of the key role-players in this project for the Western Cape Government Health and Wellness, based in the Cape Winelands, explains that the project will boost paediatric burns care regardless of whether the patient is seen in the community, at a clinic or in a hospital.

In March 2024, one of the first steps in the project was for a team of experts from the CNDU and Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust to visit different health platforms in the region and to facilitate a participative workshop to see and hear the experiences of staff who are currently involved in caring for children who have sustained a burn injury. This helped the visiting team to gain more insight into the local paediatric burns care practice and identify the learning needs of local health professionals.

The visiting team also provided two informal training sessions to more than 40 staff members from different healthcare professions at Worcester Hospital. The training component of the project is partially funded by the Tropical Health and Education Trust.

A region-specific training programme is now being developed. This will include an online short course (accredited by the University of Cape Town) to be offered to nursing teams at tertiary, regional and district hospitals and in primary healthcare services in the Cape Winelands East. Additional tailored face-to-face training will also be provided to all groups of health professionals. Ms Clare Davis, a Lecturer in the CNDU, explains that the diverse programme of training opportunities will increase the knowledge, skills and confidence of all groups of healthcare workers and impact the care of children who have been burnt.

“We are very excited about this project,” says Ms Sorina Jaftha of Worcester Hospital. “It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child and we are here, part of the village, to support your family. We promise to keep learning and improving so that we can give you the best help when needed. But we need families to reconsider their home environments to see where they can avoid burn injuries.”

As the project progresses more information will be shared with the community, but for now, we must remember that burns prevention is essential. The department works closely with partners like ChildSafe South Africa – a non-profit organisation, committed to injury prevention in children. Data shows that 90% of burns happen at home, and mostly, in the kitchen. It is often children in the 0 – 5 years age group who are affected by burn injuries. Sadly, according to the WHO, children in this age group in the African Region are more likely to succumb to their injuries than older children. “We urge parents, caregivers, and communities to take simple yet effective precautions to prevent burns and ensure prompt medical attention when accidents occur, reinforce the risk and speak to children about the dangers of candles, matches, kettles, and hot bath water,” says Ms Zaitoon Rabaney, Executive Director at ChildSafe South Africa.

Simple ways to make your home safer

An adult should always supervise children. Protect children in your home from burn wounds by making sure you:

  1. Make sure that pots of boiling water are stable on the stove or fire and turn the handles of pots and pans away from the reach of children.
  2. Move the kettle so that young children cannot pull on the cord.
  3. Place hot drinks, candles and lamps out of reach of children.
  4. Check how hot food is before giving it to children.
  5. Always prepare a bath by firstly running the cold water and then adding hot water. Test the bath water with your elbow to make sure it is safe for children before a child gets in.
  6. Put fires and embers out by using water. This extinguishes the fire and embers and cools it down.

If an accident happens

If a burn injury occurs, you should apply cool running water to the wound for twenty minutes to reduce swelling and pain. If this is not practical, try to apply cool running water for as long as possible. You should then go to the nearest hospital or call the ambulance (10177). The wound should be covered with a clean wet towel for the journey. Do not rub anything into the wound at this stage because this makes it harder for medical staff to assess the burn properly and often makes the burn worse.

For more information, visit: https://childsafe.org.za/the-critical-role-of-first-aid-in-burns-and-burn-prevention-in-children/

Dr Anita Parbhoo, Chief Executive Officer at the RCWMCH, acknowledges the crucial role that partners play in the life-saving treatment of children with burns. “As a department, we rely on the support of various partners to strengthen the work that we do. We must extend our gratitude to our partners including ChildSafe and the Children’s Hospital Trust for their efforts towards ongoing awareness campaigns and their commitment to improving the infrastructure required to help our young patients and their families on their journey of healing. Together, we are not only saving lives but ensuring a safer future for all children across the Western Cape.”

ENDS

Picture (supplied by the Children’s Hospital Trust): Every day approximately 256 South African children are affected by burns. The Western Cape Government Health and Wellness and its partners are dedicated to provide critical care and rehabilitation for these young patients.

Infographic provided by ChildSafe South Africa

MEDIA EQUIRIES:

ChildSafe South Africa: Shane Everts at 061 526 2200 or shane@childsafe.org.za

RCWMCH: Shimoney Regter at Shimoney.Regter@westerncape.gov.za

Local project to strengthen burns care: Sandra Maritz at Sandra.Maritz@westerncape.gov.za