More than 400 students from eight Labasa were at Guru Nanak Primary School Oval yesterday to participate in the ‘Race for Survival’ campaign organised by Save the Children Fiji.

The students are said to be the first in the North taking part in the event.

Chief guest and Assistant Minister for Health, Veena Bhatnagar,  congratulated Save the Children Fiji for organising an event that recognised the important role our children play in society.

“The ‘Race for Survival’ attempts to prevent child deaths thus the theme ‘Preventing Water-borne Diseases in Drought’ aims to raise awareness on health risks due to dry weather conditions,” Mrs Bhatnagar said.

“Fiji recorded a death rate of 17.9 deaths per 1000 live births in 2013, a reduction in the death rate from 20.96 deaths per 1000 live births in 2012.

“As the country focuses on striving towards the millennium Development Goal 4 of reducing child mortality in Fiji, emphasis is now placed on addressing this MDG in a collaborative manner where every person, family, agencies and the public at large has a significant role to play.

“The collaborative approach is intended to raise awareness about the increased health risks connected to adverse dry weather conditions and showing the public how to stay healthy through cost effective solutions such as the Tippy Taps method which can be used when there is limited water available”

Host Guru Nanak Primary was also fortunate to be one of the first in Labasa to use the newly constructed Tippy Taps.

Meanwhile, Saint Mary’s Primary School won with the record time of 48.9 seconds while Saint Augustine Primary School took the second prize for conserving the most water.

Bethel Primary School was placed third.

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