School Health Officer Training Program
OUR APPROACH: TARGETING HEALTH LITERACY
The World Health Organization defines health literacy as:
“The ability of individuals to access, understand, and use information in ways which promote and maintain good health for themselves, their families, and their communities.”
Through the SHO Program, we:
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Provide basic care for students and the education and tools needed for school staff, students, parents, and their communities to allow schools to understand and address the greatest health risks students will face throughout their lives.
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Leverage school leaders as catalysts for advancing health literacy
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Our multidisciplinary team of trained, local Program Facilitators lead in-person training sessions
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Have written a multicomponent, School Health Officer Handbook
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Use testing during trainings, reporting for each term, photographs of student activity and record books, and qualitative interviewing to gather efficacy data and found significant improvements in health behaviors
WHY SCHOOL HEALTH PROGRAMS?
In Kenya alone, there are triple the number of schools as healthcare facilities in the country.
Many of the health challenges faced by school-age children and their families can be managed by school staff without professional medical training if they receive appropriate education - which can then be shared with families.
School Health Programs provide an opportunity to address the basic determinants of health for students, parents and their communities.
Our Program Model
With focused, action-oriented health education, school staff trained as School Health Officers can carry out specific and practical healthcare interventions and then educate their students and school communities about this same care.
With the provision of training and resources, schools are thus able to develop their own sustainable school health programs.
Trained School Health Officers then act as catalysts to advance student health and community health literacy.
Program Reach and Impact to Date
230 educators have been trained as volunteer School Health Officers from 65 partnering schools in Nairobi and Kajiado counties who serve over 16,000 students and 1,000 staff.
Student Health and Attendance:
47% reduction in health-related school absences.
74% increase in initiation of Oral Rehydration Therapy.
89% uptake rate for student malnutrition screenings using mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) tapes.
49% rise in educational outreach on menstrual pain management for female students and their parents.
65% of schools conduct student growth screenings at least 1 time per month.
42% of schools have adopted best-practice wound care protocols.
Staff Health Literacy and Skills:
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Quadrupled the number of school staff providing health education or services.
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36% average improvement in assessment scores completed by School Health Officer trainees.
90% increase in staff confidence addressing student health concerns.
