School Health and Nutrition programs focused on health education, personal hygiene, iodine and iron supplementation and referral of students for the treatment of acute illnesses can have a magnified impact on the health and education outcomes for children. Research evidence shows that children who are healthy tend to attend school more regularly and also tend to concentrate more in class, thereby enabling them to benefit more from the learning experience. But lack of specific health services within the reach of children and fears of negative or harsh reactions from health providers keep children away from accessing health services. The School Health and Nutrition (SHN) and WASH interventions will help increase access to health services and messages by children in schools in order to improve their health and learning outcomes.
Across the developing world, millions of school-age children are affected by serious — yet easily treatable and preventable — illnesses, which inhibit their ability to learn.
Healthier children stay in school longer, attend more regularly, learn more and become healthier and more productive adults.
School Health and Nutrition programs are cost-effective and complementary to Save the Children’s Early Childhood Development and Basic Education efforts, helping children, especially girls, be healthy to learn and learn to be healthy.
By addressing girls’ special health needs, including treatment of anemia, providing sanitary facilities and water in schools, we will reduce their barriers to learning and increasing their chances to succeed and stay in school.
what do our programs do?
- Increase health and nutrition services at schools including: deworming, micronutrient supplementation,control of malaria, as well as vision and hearing screening.
- Increase access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in schools.
- Promote lifelong health behaviors through skills-based health education, including HIV/AIDS prevention.
- Ensure basic health-related school policies and support from individual schools and communities to the national level.
supporting comprehensive School Health and Nutrition programs that can include regular deworming and micronutrient supplementation. Given by teachers on a routine basis to all school children and, when possible, to non-enrolled school-age children, these have proven to be some of the most cost effective interventions. AARDO also provides treatment;for malaria in schools in endemic areas and trains teachers to screen for vision and hearing impairments, In addition, AARDO works closely with schools and their communities to ensure proper sanitation through building latrines, appropriate hand washing facilities and access to safe drinking water. Most importantly, through education, students learn how to adapt their daily habits to improve their health, nutrition, hygiene and prevent HIV/AIDS, gaining these important skills and behaviors for life.
Our School Health and Nutrition Programs are committed to promoting education for girls by addressing their special needs including treatment of anemia, providing sanitary facilities and water in schools. By reducing these barriers to learning for girls, we enhance their overall health, because girls who are healthy, enroll in school sooner, stay longer and learn more. An educated girl takes better care of herself and grows into an educated woman who has healthier and fewer children. By supplying iron and other micronutrients, and reproductive health services necessary for sound physiological growth, adolescent girls are better prepared for pregnancy and childbirth. As a result, they have fewer low-birth weight babies and lower rates of maternal death. School Health and Nutrition Programs reach girls at a critical time in their lives with information and education as they are beginning to make independent decisions that affect their health. When girls have the appropriate knowledge and skills, they are better able to make healthy choices and prevent or delay risky behaviors thereby preparing themselves better for a lifetime of health.
The School Health and Nutrition Programs work closely with the Education Programs to ensure that children in communities served by AARDO are well educated and healthy. Similarly, School Health and Nutrition Programs are a good continuation of Early Child Development (ECD) programs. Our School Health and Nutrition Programs are recognized as a global model
