School health programs – This book covers the entire syllabus of “Community Health Nursing” prescribed by the Universities of Bangladesh- for Basic and diploma nursing students. We tried to accommodate latest information and topics.
This book is examination friendly setup according to the teachers’ lectures and examination’s questions. At the end of the book previous university questions are given. We hope in touch with the book students’ knowledge will be upgraded and flourished. The unique way of presentation may make your reading of the book a pleasurable experience.
School health programs
School health service
The school health service is a personal health service delivering comprehensive health care services to the school students and school personnel’s throughout the school years.
Importance of school health service/ school health programme
- To control communicable disease among the students.
- It is the formative period, where what you educate them they will practice then in adulthood,
- It is important place of learning.
Objective of school health services
1. To provide healthful school environment.
2. To provide knowledge, attitude and practice regarding the good health habit and personal hygiene.
3. The prevention of communicable diseases.
4. Early diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of defects.
5. Awakening health consciousness in children.
School health team
1. Medical officer.
2. Nurse
3. Pharmacist.
4. MLSS (Member of Lower Sub-ordinate Services)
Approaches of school health services
1. For healthful school environments :
- Safe water supply
- Proper disposal of waste and excreta.
- Provision of classroom facility.
- Control of noise.
- Maintenance of food hygiene.
2. For good health habits and personal hygiene :
- Health education on how to practice personal hygiene for teacher, student, guardian staff.
3. Periodic examination/ screening :
- At the entry
- Every 1 year (Minimum).
4. Training to school teachers for increasing the capability to identity disease.
5. Referral system: From upazilla to district hospital.
6. Coordinating activity between health and education system.
7. Legislation.
8. Provision of legal support.
School health team
Staffing pattern of the school health team :
At district level:
- Civil surgeonDistrict health education staff officer (DHEO)
- School medical officer(SMO)
- Public health nurse (PHN)
- Pharmacist.
- Public health nurse/ Nurse
- Supporting-staff (MLSS) Member of lower subordinate.
- School teacher and class monitor
At Thana level:
- Medical officer
- Public health nurse/ Nurse
- Health inspector
- Supporting-staff
- School teacher and class monitor
N.B. School teacher and class monitor also the part of the school health services.
In Short: School health team
- Medical officer
- Nurse
- Pharmacist.
- MLSS (Member of Lower Sub-ordinate Services)
Instrument should carry a school medical officer during visit
- Weight machine
- Height measuring machine
- Tongue depressor
- Thermometer
- Measuring tape
- Torch
- Oroscope
- Cotton
Tasks/Aspects of school health services
1. Health appraisal of school children and school personnel.
2. Remedial measures and follow up.
3. Prevention of communicable disease.
4. Healthful school environment.
5. Nutritional services,
6. First aid and emergency care.
7. Mental health.
8. Dental health.
9. Eye health.
10. Health education.
11. Education of handicapped children
12. Proper maintenance and use of school health records.
Duties and responsibilities of school health medical officer
1. To plan and conduct training program of school health for school teachers, school health monitors and other PHC workers
2. To organize health education program on personal hygiene.
3. To visit schools and hostels and suggest for environmental improvement.
4. Periodic checkup for early diagnosis and treatment of disease and provision of health card for students.
5. To refer the cases which when needed.
6. To help control epidemic outbreak in the school.
7. To implement deworming programme.
8. To keep the parents informed through the teachers about physical and mental health problems of the students.
9. To maintain a close co-ordination between health and education department.
10. To submit activity reports either weekly or monthly.
11. Any other activities given by authority.
12. Suggestion and arrangement of immunization against common infections disease.
13. To attend the conference and seminar relating to health of children.
Function of school teacher
- To impart health education.
- To keep healthful school environment.
- Teacher cans help periodic medical examination by recording medical history, regular rewarding height, weight and annual testing of vision.
- To organize and physical exercise and games.
- To manage mid-day meal.
- To maintain health card.
- Daily monitoring and to identity sick children.
- To communication with parents of sick children and advise them
Criteria mid-day school meal
1. It should be a supplement and not a substitute to the home diet.
2. 1/3 of the total calorie should be supplied.
3. 1/2 of the protein should be supplied.
4. It should be prepared in the school so that cost will be minimum
5. Prepared from locally available source.]
6. It should be changed to prevent monotony.
Model menu of Mid-day school meal
| Food stuffs | Gram/day/child |
| Cereals and millets | 75 |
| Pulses | 30 |
| Oils and fats | 8 |
| Leafy vegetables | 30 |
| Non-leafy vegetables | 30 |
School health programme in BD
- 1951 Start.
- 1973 in District level.
- 2% Primary coverage
- 6% Secondary.
- Service- Curative
- Total number-25
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