Why it is important to transform schools on health promoting schools?

The effectiveness of Health Promoting Schools have been recognised as a strategic vehicle to promote positive development and healthy behaviours such as physical activity, recreation and play, balanced nutrition, prevent tobacco use, and preventing being bullied. Interventions using the HPS approach were effective for important health outcomes such as body mass index (BMI) and fitness. For several other outcomes  such as sexual health, violence, alcohol/drug abuse, hand washing, cycle-helmet use, sun protection, eating disorders, oral health and academic/attendance outcomes the evidence suggests the HPS approach may generate positive average intervention effects but more data are needed to provide solid evidence. The strongest scientific evidence of positive average intervention effects is for body mass index (BMI), physical activity, physical fitness, fruit and vegetable intake, tobacco use, and being bullied.

How Health-Promoting Schools improve education?

AHI HPS model enhance health and educational outcomes. Investment in education are more likely to pay off if the school uses its potential as an organisation to promote and protect health. AHI HPS model offers a way to acquire the greatest rewards from resources devoted to schools. AHI HPS model increase school achievements because:

·      Children who are ill, hungry, weakened by parasitic disease, malnourished and scared are not capable of learning well,

·      School staff who experience improved health, morale and skills can do their jobs more effectively - educate children well;

·      Children and teachers are more productive when the school is   clean, equipped with suitable sanitary facilities and safe water, protected from infectious diseases and from discrimination, harassment, abuse and violence, and have policies and actions that aim to prevent tobacco use, alcohol and substance abuse, and sexual behaviours that are likely to result in less sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy, and conditions that are conducive to better mental health.

·      Reduces absenteeism among children as their attendance drops when they or their family members are ill, or when students fear violence or abuse on the way to, from or in school;

·      Reduces absenteeism among school staff as their attendance drops when they are ill;

Who benefits from implementing the AHI HPS model?

Everyone gains when schools adopt the AHI HPS because:

·      Children benefits from enjoying better social, physical, intellectual, mental and emotional wellbeing, and the ability to take full advantage of every opportunity for education. They improve their social behaviour, family ties and develop a healthier lifestyle, which in turn leads to higher school achievements, better health, better capacity for work and wellbeing throughout the life course;

·      Parents benefit from gaining a broader knowledge base about local health problems, learning important new health information and life skills by taking part in their children’s education;

·      Schools benefit from establishing links to important international organisations such as UNICEF and World Health Organisation, local health services and by having additional resources, as well as parents’ active participation in school activities and involvement;

·      Community benefits from better educated and healthier people, which is an asset to community as a whole;

·      Local business benefits from better-educated and more productive employees;

·      The neighbourhood benefits from a stronger basis for economic development.