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.

Introducing Ecohealth education in a Teacher Training Institute in Lao PDR: a case study.

This paper argues the effectiveness of Ecohealth education for improving the quality of health and environmental education and for achieving sustainable development in developing countries. To illustrate the need for Ecohealth education, we review the transitions in health education, environmental education and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in various developing countries. Moreover, we discuss issues relating to these disciplines and consider the possible roles that Ecohealth education can play. Then, drawing on a case study conducted in Lao PDR, we propose a concrete example of the teaching content of Ecohealth education. We conclude that Ecohealth education can embody the concepts of ESD with respect to health and environmental issues, and thus can contribute to improvements in the quality of health and environmental education, and of ESD. In addition, we propose the following five actions for implementing Ecohealth education in developing countries: (i) promote research based on the approaches of public health and anthropology, and develop teaching materials that use the research results, (ii) empower school-aged children, (iii) encourage the active involvement and sharing of problems among communities, (iv) strengthen participatory teaching and learning methodology and (v) build a training system and train relevant teachers.

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.

Implementation of disaster risk reduction and management policies in a school setting in Lao PDR: a case study.

BACKGROUND: Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) formulated the National Strategic Plan for Disaster Risk Management to reduce risks to the communities. This plan was eventually integrated into the school curriculum, but its implementation has never been evaluated. This study aimed to clarify the present situation to inform better implementation strategies on disaster risk reduction and management in a school setting focused on fire disasters in Lao PDR. METHODS: A case study was conducted in Vientiane and five provinces in 2017. Key informant interviews were conducted among 52 policy implementers from the Disaster Management Committee (DMC), the education, and fire service sectors at national, provincial, district and school levels. Observations were done among eight secondary schools, and questionnaires were answered by 869 grade 7 students. Interview transcripts underwent content analysis using the 12 influential components of successful policy implementation and the 3 pillars of comprehensive school safety framework. The level of student knowledge on fire prevention and response was examined. RESULTS: Three themes emerged: policy content and dissemination, factors which affect policy implementation, and impacts of policy implementation facilitating factors include effective coordination and ownership among the national DMC members for scaling up disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities, and strong support from the central government. Barriers include unclear provisions in the national legislation, unclear mandates especially on leading the program, poor monitoring system, insufficient human resources, and lack of public-private partnerships. All the study schools conducted DRR classes and designated a disaster assembly point. More than 80% of the students correctly answered items on fire response. CONCLUSION: The policy was widely disseminated and implemented in all levels across sectors among the study sites except for some rural areas. Although there is a lack of national legislation and clear mandates, strong leadership, and ownership of the implementers facilitated policy implementation. All the study schools conducted fire prevention activities. Most students knew how to appropriately respond to fire. A comprehensive school-based DRR program would be beneficial in improving student knowledge and practices on DRR.