“What do healthy kids do?” is a 16-page picture book about healthy behaviors for young children. The book is designed to be shared by Burkinabè women and their children.
The book illustrates 15 of the healthy and hygienic behaviors recommended by the World Health Organization for children under the age of five. These behaviors include:
- Washing hands after using the bathroom and before meals
- Sleeping under mosquito netting
- Wearing shoes when playing outside
- Communicating diarrhea symptoms to parents.
Basic health behaviors like these are shown to greatly reduce the risk of childhood mortality, but they are often not practiced Burkina Faso. In many encounters with Burkinabè women, Pagaba researchers found this information had never been taught.
“What do healthy kids do” presents these behaviors in a highly visual format that is understandable by both children and those who cannot read. The book’s text is written in English, French, and Moore.
Four hundred copies of the book have already been distributed to Burkinabè mothers. An additional 4,000 copies have been printed by the Pagaba Foundation and are pending distribution.