Partnership of Health and Education

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Partnership of Health and Education
 

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
Partners:	Beneficiaries:
Funding Need:	Budget:
Duration:	Contact:

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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