Partnership of Health and Education
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Partnership of Health and Education
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Educate all school children, especially young girls
before child-bearing age, about important health information. A
partnership between the Ministries of Health and Education in Maharashtra
will include the teaching of proper health practices within the
curriculum. |
| Name: Partnership of Health and Education
Departments |
| Status: |
| Theme: |
Region and Country: Maharashtra, India |
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Programme Activities:
The goal of the HETV project is to use an aggressive, focused, comprehensive
approach to spread consistent health messages, and in a manner and order such
that the goal of these messages - better health for mother and child - will
reach all its audiences. In order to most effectively spread these health
messages, a partnership between the health and education departments is
necessary.
In Maharashtra, 96% of villages have a primary school, while only 41% have a
secondary school. This programme targets the need for two things: general
health education for all students in primary school, and more specific
education about health information and sanitation to female children.
The programme will teach general health information to all students through a
partnership between the health and education departments. A joint effort
between these two departments will set up a channel to provide health
education to students quickly and regularly. Basic primary health education
will be built into the school curriculum. If all students learn health
information in school early on, it allows them to spread these health
messages to the rest of their community. This will make boys and girls
knowledgeable about health issues, and therefore accountable to their
communities.
The programme will also specifically target female children in school to
teach them basic health information and sanitation before they reach a
child-bearing age. Female school attendance remains high (90%) until age ten,
but drops to 54% from ages 15-17, the time when reproductive rates begin to
soar (women aged 15-19 account for 26% of total fertility). These numbers
speak to a great need for partnerships between primary school education and
health education. If female children were educated about basic health and
sanitation early on, they would have a much better foundation of knowledge
both to pass along to the mother and family, and perhaps more importantly for
the long term, to use when they themselves become mothers. Within the
existing structure of society, it is much easier to educate a child than a
mother (especially if the mother cannot read), so this educational programme
will target the female while she is still in school.
Intended Results:
A functioning partnership will create a basic primary health curriculum to be
taught in schools to all children. Additionally, a curriculum will be created
and implemented to educate, specifically, the female children about health
and sanitation information before they reach a child-bearing age.
In order to facilitate this educational health programme, an office and a
liaison position between the health and education departments will be
created.
Within the already existing infrastructure of the school system, children
will be taught basic health information at an early age which will make them
more accountable members of society. Young females will be educated about
specific health information to pass on to their mother and family, and to use
themselves when they become mothers.
Programme Management and Implementation:
The education and health departments will forge the necessary partnership to
manage and implement this health educational programme.
Programme Monitoring and Evaluation:
Initially, monitoring and evaluation will oversee the accuracy of the
curriculum created and its implementation in schools. It will also monitor
and evaluate the content and the quality of the lessons provided. Eventually,
monitoring will check recall and the understanding of the targeted audiences,
and modifications will be made as necessary.
Learning and Dissemination:
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