NATIONAL SCHOOL HEALTH AND EDUCATION PROGRAMME (SHEP)

IN GHANA

PRESENTATION

AT

34TH SESSION OF THE SCN

BY CYNTHIA BOSUMTWI-SAM

BACKGROUND OF SHEP

1964-Welfare unit school meals programme initiated by Ghana Education Service.

Current SHN programme initiated out of 1990 World Conference on EFA (Jomtien).

Feb/March 1991-School health survey conducted in 4 regions by health education unit of the MOH

A joint programme initiated by Ministry of Education Science & Sports (MoESS) and the Ministry of Health (MoH), in 1992.

MoESS given the lead role; MoH provides technical support.

POLICY GOALS

Two out of Ten Policy Goals for Education Delivery in Ghana:

“Promote and inculcate the values of good health and environmental sanitation in schools and institutions of higher learning” (Goal 4)

“Identify and promote educational programmes that will assist in the prevention and management of HIV/AIDS” (Goal 9)

VISION OF SCHOOL HEALTH EDUCATION

A well informed healthy school population equipped with life skills, to maintain

healthy behaviour.

COMPONENT AREAS

Skills-based health educationBeneficiaries acquire knowledge and

skills, through curricular and co-curricular activities to make informed choices for

healthy living. School health services

Health personnel, teachers and other stakeholders provide screening, deworming, counseling etc services

COMPONENT AREAS CONT’D

Food and Nutrition

- Promotion of the use of iodised salt in schools

- Training for school food vendors in food hygiene and nutrition

COMPONENT AREAS CONT’D

Water, Sanitation and environment Provision of potable water and water harvesting

facilities, institutional latrines/toilets and hand washing facilities for schools.

HIV/AIDS Preventive Education Targeting teachers, students and school community

members (Parents and School Management Ctee members)

School Health Policy

SCHOOL FEEDING PROGS.

Two types of School Feeding Progs:

a) Take home ration for girls in schools in deprived communities in the three regions.

b) Provision of one hot nutritious meal to primary school children using locally grown foodstuffs (Ghana School Feeding Programme GSFP).

SCHOOL FEEDING PROGS. CONT’D

Objectives of GSFP:-feed all primary school chn

-increase sch attendance and performance-increase food production and demand

Coverage:-Pilot in 10 schools (3,000 pupils) nationwide in

2005. -Currently 200 schools (63,000 pupils) being fed.

COLLABORATORS

Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies

Parent Teacher Associations / School Management Committees

Development Partners –UNICEF, WHO, Danida, JICA, etc

Non Governmental Organisations, Community Based Organisations, Faith Based Organisations etc

SHEP NATIONAL LEVEL LINKAGES

MoESS

SHEP

MLGRD

Policy Planning & Management Unit

MWRW&H

CWSA

Development Partners

DANIDA, UNICEF, JICA,, WHO,WFP etc

NGOs

CONIWAS, WVI, Plan Ghana etc.

MOH – NutritionReproductive & Child Health, School Health, Health Promotion,Disease Control,Eye Care etc

•Narcotics Control Board•Road Safety Commission•Red Cross Society

NATIONAL COLLABORATION - HOW?(NATIONAL DEWORMING PROG.)

GHS strategy to control anaemia in school age children; GES Operational Plan strategy.

Target of 1st round: to deworm 4.5 million public basic school children.

The 2 ministries set up a Task force to: - Identify responsibilities of stakeholders

- develop materials - pilot deworming/baseline survey - train trainers and teachers - develop media strategy

LINKAGES WITH HIV/AIDS SECRETARIAT OF THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION SCIENCE AND SPORTS

Minister of Education,Sc & Sports

Chief Director

HIV/AIDS Secretariat

17 Agencies (GES, WAEC, NFED,etc)

SHEP

DISTRICT LEVEL LINKAGES

GES SHEP

Coordinator

GHS

DISTRICT HEALTH MGT.TEAM

Community Health Nurse

DISTRICT ASSEMBLY

•District Water & Sanitation Team

•Environmental Health Assistants

•HIV/AIDS Focal Person

NGOs

SCHOOL LEVEL LINKAGES

PTA

SMC Health

Worker

Food Vendors

Community Rep

Head teacher, School-based Health Coordinator,

Pupils Reps

School Health Committee

CHALLENGE

Since there are so many players involved at the various levels, there is the need for efficient coordination.

THANK YOU