Fun Learning for Children—Health Education Through Comics

UK-based Medikidz comics are coming to India armed with vital health information for adolescents aged 10-15 years. The next series targeted to enlighten kids in the 5-10 age group is coming within the six months. Written and reviewed by doctors, the comic books are out to take kids on a tour of Mediland—a huge living planet shaped like a human body. Prevention and treatment of medical conditions and a host of other health information are presented in an imaginative way to readers through the adventures of five superheroes, namely Pump, Chi, Skinderella, Gastro, Axon and his pet robot Abacus.

Each year doctors diagnose children with medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, ADHD, autism, dyslexia, swine flu, which children don’t easily understand. Often parents and doctors face a dilemma wondering if children can digest the medical concepts and sometimes decide it is better not to confuse children with details of their illness. Dr Kim Chilman Blair and Dr. Kate Hersov from New Zealand have created Medikidz in order to empower children with medical information and enable them to take charge of their health.

Currently the Medikidz team has come out with 42 titles of approximately 30 pages each and they hope to start a dialogue on 300 topics ranging from the commonest to the rarest medical conditions. Medikidz content is now being translated into Hindi at the request of the Indian Health Ministry.  Talks are on to make the comic books available to children in government schools and hospitals.



Source-Medindia
THK