The world is facing an unprecedented global crisis, accelerating economic, political and social transitions that impact at all levels of society. These substantial challenges require a reflection on the most efficient, effective and equitable ways of supporting and advancing population health and well-being.
The International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE), with its mission to promote global health and well-being and to contribute to the achievement of equity in health between and within countries of the world, held its 21st Word Conference on Health Promotion in Pattaya, Thailand from 25-29 August 2013.
The theme for this conference was ‘Better Investments in Health.’ The conference examined what are the best investments for universal health coverage and improved well-being of people. It encouraged dialogue on how different perspectives contribute to the definition of policies and interventions that promote health, social and human development; and the free exchange of ideas around key investors in health promotion systems and key indicators for success.
UNESCO Bangkok attended the IUHPE, and participated in a workshop profiling the work of UNESCO in collaboration with other Focused Resources of Effective School Health (FRESH) partners. The workshop, on ‘Testing eight global indicators to support school health,’ was facilitated by the International School Health Network. It reviewed the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Guidance for School Health Programmes, produced with the support, advice and insights of numerous individuals and organizations over the past 5 years, including the American Institutes for Research (AIR), Child-to-Child Trust, Education Development Center (EDC), Education International, International School Health Network (ISHN), London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Partnership for Child Development (PCD), Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership, Save the Children, Schools for Health in Europe (SHE) Network, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNODC, WFP, WHO, and the World Bank.
The guidance has also been refined based on country-level feedback and experiences from government and development partners including pilot testing in El Salvador, Ethiopia, Nepal, and the Philippines. With its set of recommended indicators, this FRESH M&E Guidance intends to help programs in low- and middle-income countries ensure their implementation is more standardized and evidence-based.
Workshop participants were primarily policy-makers or researchers associated with government bodies such as Ministries of Health who undertake quality assurance evaluation. Many voiced the concern that often teachers, and principles feel that the time spent on, and pressure related to, existing education quality testing means that the value of additional indicators should be clearly communicated to these staff to ensure their commitment to this cause. Participants recommended that the meaning of such indicators be clearly communicated to all within the school setting; and every effort made to align the additional indicators with existing ones. Participants particularly encouraged the use of common language, and avoiding health-specific jargon. Participants also raised the concern of the need for further consideration on how the FRESH indicators will be integrated into existing quality control systems purely for education.
UNESCO, in its role as a FRESH partner, is promoting the uptake and use of the Guidance. UNESCO Bangkok also sees the Guidance as relevant input into a review that it is organizing on the implementation of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in the Asia Pacific region in collaboration with the UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Office and the UNFPA Asia and Pacific Regional Office.
As the purpose of the CSE survey is to review implementation of school-based sexuality education in selected countries in the region that have existing sexuality education programmes in schools, the issues raised in the workshop are of particular value. In particular, UNESCO Bangkok is more aware of the need to:
• communicate the benefits of this review to the staff involved in the school setting in identified countries;
• align with existing indicators to reduce any additional burden to school staff who may be participating in the review; and
• establish a clear pathway from data collection to influencing policies and improving education programs.
For more information on UNESCO work on Monitoring and Evaluation of School Health Programmes go to http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/health-education/fresh/me-indicators/]
For more information on the Guidance and other areas of school health and nutrition see: www.schoolsandhealth.org.
For more information on the IUHPE conference see: http://www.iuhpeconference.net