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 Promoted by the UNDP, UNICEF & WHO in association with the Government of India |
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School Health Monitor Programme (A part of Community Health Initiative) Target: 300,000 school children in the tribal belt of Thane District, Maharashtra, within the area of Impact’s Community Health Initiative (Population: Over 1 million). The Programme is being conducted in rural schools where the children come from extremely backward tribal villages. It is explained to the students that they are about to conduct a very important exercise – to vote for eminently suitable and able peers who would be responsible for early identification of any disabilities, almost like choosing the Captain of their school. Health Monitors (HM) in each class – one Monitor for every 10 children - are thus appointed. The HMs are trained to identify early signs of disability amongst their colleagues and report to the teachers who in turn inform the parents. Each HM is given a format for detection of poor vision, hearing, skin diseases and dental problems, etc. The teacher is charged with translating the information onto a distinctive card, certified by the Government, for the parents to take to their nearest Primary Health Centre In addition to identifying disabilities, the HMs have taken it upon themselves to convey health messages to their peers. An immediate result of this exercise is that the children come to school clean and neat – there are no more dirty finger and toe nails; matted hair, soiled clothes and unbathed children. Even in areas where water is scarce, the HMs seek the cooperation of the school authorities to allow them to bathe and wash their clothes in the school. It is proposed that the Government’s scheme for Mid-Day Meals for School Children will also be supervised by the HMs as quite often the children do not get what has been sanctioned by the Government. While the HM scheme is being successfully implemented in the areas of our work, we now realize that a large number of target children are dropouts or not in school. We are now extending the reach of the School Health Monitors to undertake early detection and health awareness and to report emergency situations in the villages where they live. This has been whole-heartedly accepted by the villagers who have little access to health services. Impact is confident that these simple health measures, together with appropriate communication, will bring about a drastic reduction in the incidence of disability, which Impact is endeavouring to reduce by 50% within the next three years. The Government is very interested in this development, and, as with the Lifeline Express which is now in the text books of most schools in India, Impact proposes to seek the attention of the Government to institutionalize the School Health Monitor Programme as mandatory in all the schools in the country. Download School Health Manual - PDF (2.60 MB) :: ZIP (2.35 MB) |
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