Licealiz battles head lice infestation in Mindanao with Kilusang Kontra Kuto
About one-third of elementary public school students in the Philippines suffer from head lice-related problems. Head lice infestation or pediculosis can cause severe itchiness and infection of the scalp, but this could be the least of these children’s worries; the social stigma associated with having kuto can leave lasting psychological damage on both children and their parents.
A survey of communities visited by the Licealiz caravan last year found that 47% of respondents from Visayas and 76% of respondents from Mindanao said that their children were bullied and teased for having head lice, causing some of them to miss school to avoid their peers. The parents, on the other hand, feel incompetent and embarrassed for being unable to prevent head lice from infesting their children.
In response to this, Lamoiyan Corporation’s Licealiz Head Lice Treatment Shampoo launched Nationwide Oplan Alis Kuto as a part of its Kilusang Kontra Kuto effort to educate the public on lice infestation issues. The caravan was launched in partnership with the Department of Education, University of the Philippines Manila College of Public Health and Mommy Bloggers Philippines with the goal of traveling to different schools and barangays all over the country to hold shampooing programs and lectures for students and their parents.
Lamoiyan Corporation is set to end the year with 30 public schools visited and over 8,000 children shampooed.
The Kilusang Kontra Kuto visits Ayala Central School in Zamboanga City for Nationwide Oplan Alis Kuto.
“We want to remove the stigma associated with having kuto by educating communities on lice infestation issues,” said Lamoiyan Corporation Marketing Director Bing Cavestany. “We want to drive home the message that everyone can be potentially infested by kuto, that it’s not something to be ashamed about, and definitely not something to ridicule others for. We also hope to encourage these communities to unite and take action to solve this public health problem together,” shared Cavestany.
Licealiz invites everyone to join the Kilusang Kontra Kuto in changing the public’s perception about head lice infestation and spreading correct information regarding head lice prevention and treatment.
For more information on head lice prevention and treatment, visit Licealiz’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/licealiz.