On 6th November 2025, the 7th Semester BSc Nursing students and the Department of Community Health Nursing, MCON, MAHE, Manipal, organized a School Health Awareness Program titled, “Mobile Addiction, Personal Hygiene, Good and Bad Habits” at Karnataka Public School,Varambali Brahmavara, from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM. The initiative aimed to educate school children about the ill effects of mobile addiction and to promote the importance of maintaining personal hygiene and cultivating good habits.

Ms. Gladys and Ms. Anna Riva served as the Masters of the Ceremony. Mrs. Pushpa N. D’Souza, Headmistress, Karnataka Public School, Mr. Pradeep, Teacher, Karnataka Public School, Dr. Malathi G. Nayak, Professor, Department of Community Health Nursing, MCON, Mrs. Joyce Sangeetha Henry, Lecturer, Department of Community Health Nursing, MCON, and Mr. Amol Powar, Assistant Lecturer, Department of Community Health Nursing, MCON were the dignitaries of the programme.

The event began with a prayer song by Sharon, Diya, and Shreelakshmi, followed by a welcome address by Ms. Angel Robinson. Dr. Malathi and Mr. Pradeep addressed the gathering, sharing their valuable insights. A skit titled “Effects of Mobile Addiction” was performed by the 7th semester BSc Nursing students in the Kannada language.

To make the session more interactive, Ms. Jaise demonstrated the seven steps of handwashing, followed by a lively handwashing dance performed jointly by the nursing students and school children. To further emphasize the importance of personal hygiene and good habits by Ms. Shreelakshmi.

A quiz competition based on the session’s content was conducted, and the winners received prizes from Dr. Malathi and Mr. Amol. Mrs. Pushpa, the Headmistress, presented a memento to Dr. Malathi as a token of appreciation. The program concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Ms. Norah Naveen.

The event was successful in enhancing the students’ awareness of mobile addiction, personal hygiene, and good habits. A total of 225 students from classes 6 and 7, along with four school teachers, participated enthusiastically, showing great interest throughout the program.

This initiative aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being), promoting health literacy by highlighting the harmful effects of mobile addiction and the importance of maintaining personal hygiene and healthy habits. The programme was coordinated by Mr Amol, Mrs Clara, and Mrs Joyce from the Department of Community Health Nursing, Manipal College of Nursing.