School Health Ambassador Initiative
- Posted By
10Pointer
- Categories
Economy
- Published
14th Feb, 2020
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Context
- Union Minister of Human Resource Development and Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare jointly released curriculum for School Health Ambassador Initiative under Ayushman Bharat in New Delhi.
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When and Who launched this initiative?
- The School Health Programme (SHP) under Ayushman Bharat was launched on April 14, 2018 by the Prime Minister in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh.
- This is a joint collaborative programme of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Human Resource & Development, Department of School Education & Literacy.
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Who developed the curriculum?
- Ministry of Human Resource & Development and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) along with NCERT has developed curriculum framework and training material for training of nodal teachers, in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG- 3).
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Why this initiative is needed?
- The goal of education is not only to increase the knowledge, but also to inculcate behavior which promotes consciousness about good health.
- The teachers are the best mentors for the children and now they will also act as “Health and Wellness Ambassadors” and will disseminate various key information by organising culturally sensitive activity based sessions for one hour per week for 24 weeks in a year to promote joyful learning.
- The first phase of implementation will be in all the public upper primary, secondary and senior secondary schools of aspirational districts. Subsequently, remaining districts will be taken up in the second year.
- The Ministers hoped that this initiative will help students to show good academic performance of the students as well keep them healthy and enhance skills/counter issues which they may come across throughout their life.
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What are the 11 Themes?
- Growing up healthy, emotional wellbeing and mental health, interpersonal relationships, values and responsible citizenship, gender equality, nutrition, health and sanitation, promotion of healthy lifestyles, prevention and management of substance misuse, reproductive health and HIV prevention, safety and security against violence and injuries, and promotion of safe use of internet, media and social media are the 11 identified themes.
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How this will be implemented?
- In this new initiative, health promotion and prevention activities program has been added in addition to ongoing health screening program through Rasthriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) teams and provision of services (IFA, Albendazole and sanitary napkins).
- While health screening and provision of services are ongoing activities, the newly added health promotion and prevention component will be implemented by two teachers identified in every school as “Health and Wellness Ambassador”.
- These ambassadors will be supported by class monitors as “Health and Wellness Messengers”.
- A National Resource Group (NRG) of 40 members has already been constituted by NCERT who have sound training skills and experience in Adolescent Health.
- The NRG will train the State Resource Group which will comprise of 2 persons each from SCERT, SIHFW and DIET from each selected district at the 5 Regional Institute of Education (RIE) at Shillong, Mysore, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar and Ajmer.
Quick Recap
- School Health Ambassador Initiative—joint initiative of Ministry of Human Resource Development and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare—under Ayushman Bharat—launched on April 14, 2018
- Curriculum is developed by NCERT in consultation with MoHFW and MHRD—in line with SDG-3
- Teachers will act as Health and Wellness Ambassador”.
- National Resource Group (NRG) of 40 members—constituted by NCERT.
- NRG will train the State Resource Group.
- Regional Institute of Education (RIE) is at Shillong, Mysore, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar and Ajmer.
