Survey on spread of illness

'Election-style' public opinion survey on the spread of illness was highly successful.

A program aimed at creating a healthy, society was successfully concluded recently, after 'election -style' surveys were conducted in several highly populated cities around the country.

Emulating the concept of the polling station and the ballot box, 10 'voting centres' were positioned in Panadura, Kalutara, Aluthgama, Mathugama, Negombo, Gampaha, Piliyandala, Nugegoda, Kiribathgoda, Borella where members of the public were encouraged to 'cast their ballot'.

These 10 cities in the Western Province were strategically selected, based on population density, both permanent and transitory, and convenience in terms of public access.

Each of the centres was activated on a rotational basis during the period of the survey.

The two questions posed to the 'voters' were as follows: 1. Can/can't school absenteeism due to illness be stopped? 2. Is teaching children good personal hygiene habits the responsibility of teachers or parents?

To excite curiosity and attract the public to voting stations, election-style posters were displayed at strategically located public areas, in proximity to the centres and also on selected locations beside the polling stations.

The centres themselves were housed under large, unbranded sun-shade umbrellas and a ballot box and pennants marked the entrance into the polling booths.

Survey respondents were issued 'ballot papers' by a special promotional representative and once completed, were requested to drop their ballots into the ballot box placed nearby.

In addition to the polling booth style survey method, a Short Message Service (SMS) poll was also conducted among mobile telephone subscribers, after a pre-survey awareness campaign was carried out in the local newspapers.

The election results were overwhelmingly positive, with over 63 per cent of respondents claiming that the spread of illness which result in children missing school and other problems can be halted by collective affirmative action and better personal hygiene training. However 37 per cent of respondents believed that school absenteeism due to illness could not be ceased. With regard to the second question posed to survey respondents, 88 per cent felt that the responsibility to teach children good personal hygiene habits lay with the parents of the child, while 12 per cent felt that schoolteachers were primarily responsible for inculcating cleanliness. Sri Lanka's dream of emerging as a developed nation rests on the creation of a healthy citizenry.

Lifebuoy is committed to making this dream a reality by promoting personal hygiene among all sections of the Sri Lankan public.