Thousands of south-west children learn the importance of healthy habits

Thousands of children in the south-west, including at North Edge Child Care Centre in Warrnambool, are being taught dental and nutrition literacy as part of statewide program Smiles 4 Miles.

The preventative care program aims to improve the oral health of some of the youngest members of the community.

North Edge teacher Victoria Hodgson said the program was so effective that even some of their youngest students were going home to tell their families what's what when it comes to healthy habits.

"It's so important for children to eat well, if they're eating well here then that will hopefully be transferred to eating back home," she said.

"It's amazing the conversations they have when they go home to their parents, they won't hesitate to say 'mum this isn't a healthy meal'.

"We also carry out dental screens here which is a great way seeing how things are tracking at home."

Kinder chef Sheradin Glehill said nutrition from a young age was an important step to setting up healthy living habits into adulthood.

"There are some kids we feed five times a week so it's so important that they are getting their nutrition in," she said.

46 early childhood services throughout the region are participating in the Smiles 4 Miles program.

The program has benefited 1295 children in Warrnambool City, 332 children in Moyne Shire, 308 children in Glenelg Shire and 283 children in Southern Grampians Shire.

Developed by Dental Health Services Victoria, it's being implemented in partnership with South West Healthcare's South West Dental Service, said coordinator Ellie Wilson.

"The program is a great way to help children have healthy teeth and gums for life,' she said.

"Good habits are formed early. Children take lessons they learn at a young age with them, right up to adulthood. By promoting good oral health behaviours early in life we can decrease the likelihood of poor oral health later in life."

In 2019 the south-west reached its highest number of Smiles 4 Miles awarded services ever.

World Oral Health Day falls on March 20 and launches a year-long campaign dedicated to raising global awareness of the issues around oral health and the importance of oral hygiene.

Meanwhile the region has recorded the highest childhood immunisation rates in Australia, new figures show.

Primary Health Network data reveals Warrnambool's immunisation rates for children in the five-year-old range sat above the Western Victorian average at 98.17 per cent, while those in the 12-15 month-old window recorded 95.19 per cent.

Children over two recorded a slightly lower immunisation rate at 89.90 per cent.

The data shows that western Victoria led the way for children aged 12 to 15 months (96.52 per cent) and 24 to 27 months (94.87 per cent, up from 94.71 in September).

The numbers continue with 97.16 per cent of children aged five were fully immunised, sitting only just behind Western NSW in national coverage rates.

The numbers also show that 98.32 per cent of five-year-old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the region were fully immunised, placing it in the top few regions nationally.

WVPHN chief executive Dr Leanne Beagley said having your child immunised helps protect them from the most serious childhood infections and it is also a requirement by law for immunisations to be up-to-date before your child starts childcare and kindergarten, through the No Jab No Play policies.

"These outstanding rates of childhood immunisation in western Victoria are a sure sign that our children's health remains a top priority in primary and preventative health care," Dr Beagley said.

Routine childhood immunisations help protect children against preventable diseases including diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, pneumococcal disease, hepatitis B, rotavirus, chickenpox, measles, mumps and influenza.

"Minimising health risk by protecting our children against serious diseases is not only beneficial to your child, but also the greater community. The immunity of our region is only possible thanks to the hard work of our health care providers, general practitioners (GP) and nurse immunisers who have been supported by WVPHN's excellent team of immunisation consultants and practice facilitators," she said.

"It is a credit to all involved as we continue to work towards 100 per cent coverage rates for children aged up to five years of age."

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