Health-promoting schools in the Americas: a regional initiative
Ippolito Shepherd, J.; Cerqueira, M.T.
Food, Nutrition and Agriculture 33: 19-26
2003
Document Number: 236641
Boys, girls and adolescents acquire the basis of their beliefs, attitudes, knowledge and behaviour at preschool and school age. The school, as the centre of education, learning, coexistence and growth in which fundamental values are imparted, is the ideal place to conduct health promotion programmes. This article explains the health-promoting schools initiative. The member nations of WHO are in the process of determining criteria and procedures for the formal recognition of health-promoting schools. Alliances need to be formed with children's families, parents' associations, non-governmental organizations, community leaders and policy-making bodies if the health-promoting schools initiative is to be successful. The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean are pursuing a strategy of health-promoting schools, and their ministries of education have designed school health programmes that highlight the importance of education for health, the creation and maintenance of healthy environments, nutrition and an active life, and access to health services. These programmes include methods of identifying the most common health problems affecting school children.