UNESCO Chair Global Health and Education Health Education, Prevention, Health Promotion, Children and Young People
 

SAVE THE DATE Side event at the World Health Assembly in Geneva – 19 May 2020

Developing the capacity of ALL schools to promote the current and future health of students

Objectives

  • To describe the evidence base for the implementation and scaling up of school-based health initiatives
  • To assess the challenges and the levers for effective and sustainable implementation in all schools
  • To share innovative intersectoral initiatives from different educational contexts

By the end of the session, we aim to have identified the conditions for the implementation of health promoting practices in schools and 3 priorities to enable every school to develop these health promoting practices.

Background

Developing the capacity of ALL schools to promote the current and future health of students is a major issue for both educational success, and current and future student health. The aim is to go beyond the rhetoric and to share a realistic approach based on knowledge about the determinants of health, the situation of schools, the practices of professionals and the mechanisms for change in the educational systems. The priority is to enable all schools to develop practices (which are accessible and compatible with the context) that contribute positively to the health of children and young people. This is a major challenge when it comes to reducing inequalities and enabling all schools, especially those located in the most vulnerable areas, to exploit their full potential for the success of all students and to act on the various determinants of health. The three goals of an inclusive, equitable and healthy school are inseparable.

A joint initiative

This session is a joint initiative of UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education, Geneva’s Department of Public Education, Training and Youth (DIP), International Association for Adolescent Health (IAAH), International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE), European Public Health Association (EUPHA), NCD Child, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) (tbc). Students and school professionals will share their insights with the participants.

Format

Presented in a local school near the Palais des Nations, the session will be held both in English and French, on Tuesday 19th May 2020, 17.30 – 20.00 CET (17.30 – 18.30: Introduction session in French and 18.30 – 20.00: Meeting in English).

To receive the upcoming practical information on the event, send us an email to: info@unescochair-ghe.org