“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” —World Health Organisation

Keeping this definition in mind one can say that care of the body regarding food, cleanliness, exercise, rest and protection against diseases is essential for the preservation of good health. Now the question arises: how do we take care of our body and mind? And more importantly, how do we get to know what we have to do in this regard?

Here’s where health education comes in. Health education is a process of informing people how to achieve and maintain good health, and promoting lifestyle changes to achieve healthy living. It encompasses physical, intellectual, emotional, social as well as environmental and spiritual health.

A child has more capacity to assimilate knowledge and habits, and behaviour adopted at a young age remains unchanged even in adulthood. Hence, childhood is the best time to teach about health and healthy lifestyle. Children spend a lot of time and learn a lot at school. Schools can play a vital role in establishing healthy behaviour patterns among young people that they carry into adulthood. Schools provide opportunity to learn healthy lifestyles and skills necessary to engage in healthy behaviours, they also provide a place to engage in these behaviours, such as eating healthy and participating in physical activity. No health programme can be implemented without the help of a school.

But, unfortunately, health education is not a part of the curriculum in our country. Prof Anita Ghulam Ali, educationist and CEO of Sindh Education Foundation, regrets that “We do not have health education as part of the curricula and merely depend upon the health camps organised by multinationals for the promotion of their products like the Handwashing or the Oral Health campaigns. In order to promote a clean and hygienic environment among the community health education must be made a part of the school curricula.

“Moreover, what is taught at school regarding health has a direct impact on the community. It is expected that the students share their learning with their parents and other family members. Hence health knowledge multiplies and parents and the community also get educated.”

A comprehensive health education curriculum should include issues that help students learn the ropes of healthy living. Some significant health issues that need to be dealt with are: nutrition and balanced diet, hygiene and sanitation, chronic diseases like asthma, diabetes and obesity, family healthcare, prevention of foodborne illnesses, prevention of contagious and non contagious diseases; emotional and mental health; physical fitness, including effects of exercise on the body and on the general wellbeing and prevention of accidents and provision of first aid.

Additionally, children can be imparted information regarding the effects of tobacco, alcohol and drug use, abuse and prevention; community and ecological health and the effects of environmental pollution on the individual and community.

While in the USA and other western countries health education also includes prevention of diseases such as HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases as well as sexual relationships and sexuality, given the conservative setup of our society most people believe that such matters be better left for the families to impart as and when they consider suitable and not be taught at the school level.

However, Prof Anita Ghulam Ali asserts that “Abuse can severely damage a child’s mental health and growth. Physical as well as sexual abuse is often dealt with behind closed doors, but silence can also come at a cost at times. Such taboo subjects need to be carefully approached. It is important to make the children understand that they must talk to their parents or teacher, who they trust, if they don’t feel right about something a grown up says or does or tells them that something bad will happen if they don’t keep the secret. The media has brought quite a bit into the open so many things are not alien or abstract concepts any more. Schools can play a key role in educating children regarding these sensitive issues.”

Research studies show that risky behaviours that result in chronic disease often develop during childhood and that promoting and establishing healthy behaviours in younger people is more effective, and often easier, than efforts to change unhealthy behaviours already established in adult populations.

The goal of health education should not be just to disseminate information but also develop a student’s ability to adopt behaviours that protect and promote health and avoid and reduce health risks. School health education should aim to provide the fundamental basis for instilling behaviours in young people to prevent or delay the diseases that may cause early death.

For instance, obesity in children increases the risk of developing diabetes in later years. It is also a major contributor of heart disease, arthritis and some types of cancers. If children are taught the importance of healthy eating habits and physical activity, the absence of which leads to obesity, they would be better equipped to lead a healthy life and prevent the disease. Similarly, they can be taught to use a handkerchief or tissue when sneezing or coughing in order to prevent the spread of viruses.

Besides this health education should include student participation in interactive activities such as preparing educational boards or posters, and encouraging them to research and share health-related information with their classmates.

“In addition, students should form health committees including community doctors, nurses and health workers so that they can participate in activities during health awareness campaigns at school,” says the professor.

The school can also celebrate Health Week annually or as when needed, i.e. when any epidemic strikes such as dengue or swine flu in order to disseminate information about epidemic diseases. The students can take part in the form of art exhibitions showcasing paintings as well as awareness brochures.

At what level should health education be imparted is something which is often debated; some want it at the primary level while some would like to delay it till the secondary level. Prof Anita Ghulam Ali believes that “There isn’t any fixed or a predefined level of imparting health education in schools. It is an ongoing process that has to be incorporated at all levels. A child studying in grade one needs to be equally aware of the measures taken for the prevention of dengue fever as a student of grade eight.”