Status of school health programs in Asia: National policy and implementation.

BACKGROUND: The WHO's Health Promoting Schools (HPS) framework is based on an understanding of the reciprocal relationship between health and education, and the need to take a holistic approach to health promotion in schools. We aim to clarify the degree to which the HPS framework is reflected in the national policies of eight target countries and the issues surrounding its successful implementation. METHODS: Date were collected through two expert workshops with participants from eight Asian countries: Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea, Lao PDR, Nepal, the Philippines, and Thailand. In the first workshop, data collected on national policy were mapped against the HPS framework. From this, key issues were identified, and follow-up data collection was conducted in each country for a second workshop. RESULTS: We identified a policy shift toward the HPS framework in six out of the eight countries. Neither Japan nor Korea had changed their national policy frameworks to reflect an HPS approach; however, in the latter, model programs had been introduced at a local level. We identified various barriers to successful implementation, especially in relation to mental health and wellbeing. CONCLUSION: Given the recent shift toward the HPS approach in six out of the eight countries in this study, there is a need to conduct research to assess the impact of this framework on the health and wellbeing of students and school staff. At the same time, we call for more dialog in the context of Japan to explore the possible benefits of introducing the HPS framework into schools.

School health promotion in South-East Asia by Japan and partners.

School health promotion in South-East Asia has developed rapidly in recent years, and Japan has been one of the significant contributors to the reinforcement of school health promotion in the region. Starting from the Hashimoto Initiative on global parasite control, Japan advocated for international partnerships with several agencies for the development of school health programs in South-East Asia. Through a strengthened collaboration with international organizations, countries such as the Lao PDR, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Thailand have created and implemented school health programs on nutrition, sanitation, and deworming, among others. In addition to school health program formulation and implementation, the expanded network in South-East Asia led to more capable school health personnel, with many workers in the education and health sectors benefitting from the training programs jointly held by collaborating organizations.