Making every school in the Region of the Americas a health-promoting school: Implementation guide for educational institutions
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Making every school in the Region of the Americas a health-promoting school: Implementation guide for educational institutions. (2024). [Publications]. PAHO. https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/63168
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English; 94 pages
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2024-12-11
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978-92-75-12813-8 (PDF)
978-92-75-12814-5 (print version)
978-92-75-12814-5 (print version)
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Schools conduct numerous activities daily that help promote the health and well-being of students, families and communities. There is clear evidence of the benefits of the health-promoting schools (HPS) approach, which is to improve the educational community's comprehensive health outcomes (physical, mental, and social) and to obtain better learning results. The term health-promoting school is used here to refer to institutions at all levels of schooling (pre-school, primary, and secondary) that take a comprehensive approach to promoting health and school performance in their communities, using the organizational potential of schools to promote physical, socioemotional, and psychological wellness, all of which will contribute to better health and positive educational outcomes. It is expected that this guide will contribute to both the staff of educational establishments and health personnel and other personnel related to schools, reinforcing their motivation, recognizing each of the initiative's components and promoting its application, adapted and recreated according to the characteristics of the respective contexts. The guide introduces the conceptual and operational bases of the Health Promoting Schools initiative, encouraging the motivation of the teams that coordinate its implementation and provides conceptual and methodological tools that allow for promoting the Health Promoting School initiative in a critical and contextualized manner. This guide will be useful for all personnel working in educational institutions at the initial, primary and secondary levels, including management, teaching, school psychology and auxiliary and administrative personnel. It will also serve professionals from different sectors (education, health and social development) whose activities are linked to health and well-being in educational institutions at the three levels.
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Pan American Health Organization. Making every school in the Region of the Americas a health-promoting school: Implementation guide for educational institutions. Washington, D.C.: PAHO; 2024. Available from: https://doi. org/10.37774/9789275128138
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Item Food, nutrition, and physical activity initiatives in schools in the Americas(2025-07-08)The rise in overweight and obesity worldwide and particularly in the Americas is having physical and psychological health impacts during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Childhood obesity can also contribute to behavioral and emotional problems, lead to stigmatization and poor socialization, and lower children’s educational attainment. To halt the rise of the obesity epidemic, the countries of the Region of the Americas approved a five-year Plan of Action for the Prevention of Obesity in Children and Adolescents. One of the five strategic lines of action of the plan is to improve school nutrition and physical activity environments. School policies and programs represent a key opportunity to advance sustainable development, address all forms of malnutrition, promote comprehensive health in schools and in the community, and realize the basic and fundamental rights of school-age children. This report presents a regional compilation of food, nutrition, and physical activity initiatives in schools as creators of sustainable environments for children and adolescents, who are the future generation. This publication is primarily intended for a technical audience working in ministries and organizations related to health, education, food, nutrition, and physical activity. The hope is also that it will generate interest among researchers, technical advisors, and school staff to work hand in hand with nongovernmental and international organizations toward the development and implementation of public policies that benefit children and adolescents.Item School Health Promotion in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Regional Assessment(PAHO, 2022)This report presents the results of a regional assessment of the status of school health and the health-promoting schools (HPS) approach conducted jointly by PAHO, UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank during 2018–2019. 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As these nations navigate the complexities of digital transformation in the health sector, engagement with the Global Initiative on Digital Health (2), aligned with the Pan American Health Organization ́s (PAHO) eight guiding principles for the digital transformation of the health sector (3), becomes imperative not only for advancing technology adoption but also for promoting health equity and universal access to health and universal health coverage. The inclusion of telehealth in the G20 agenda, championed by Brazil’s presidency, underscores the group’s commitment to leveraging digital innovations to improve health outcomes in G20 countries and globally, as telehealth is a key area of the digital transformation of the health sector. Because countries worldwide vary widely in the capacity of their digital health infrastructure and their development stages, there lies a unique opportunity to foster international collaboration, share knowledge and drive global standards that support the widespread adoption of telehealth solutions for leaving no one behind. This strategic focus is predicated on the understand- ing that telehealth serves as both a catalyst for health equity and a critical tool for reinforcing health systems grounded in primary health care (PHC). The scientific rationale behind this concerted effort is clear: by enhancing digital infrastructure and fostering the adoption of telehealth solutions, there is potential to bridge the global digital divide and democratize access to health services. The G20, representing the world’s largest economies, plays a critical role in shaping global health policies, initiatives and innovative solutions (1). 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In envisioning the future of global health, the fourth pillar of the vision of PAHO’s Director emerges with critical importance: the construction of resilient national health systems is firmly rooted in the implementation of the PHC strategy. This vision is not just an aspiration but a necessary evolution, with PAHO standing ready to guide countries towards achieving this goal. PAHO’s commitment involves supporting countries in the organization of health services networks based on PHC, targeting public financing to foster universal access and coverage, and bolstering governance in health under the leadership of health ministries. Moreover, it calls for the rapid deployment of technological innovations such as telehealth and also broader digital transformation initiatives (4). Digital transformation, emerging as a key innovative strategy, offers significant improvements to the strengthening of PHC. Through the adoption of inclusive digital health solutions, it is possible to enhance the delivery of health services, ensuring they become more accessible, efficient and equitable for everyone, everywhere (5, 6). Among the priorities leading this transformation, telehealth emerged at the G20 as a key opportunity in the mission to leave no one behind and as a cornerstone of the digital transformation of the health sector. Telehealth improves access to care and health information, thereby empowering individuals and communities (7). It effectively extends health services to underserved populations, encourages collaborative practices among health professionals, and broadens access to health for the wider community. It can support reduced waiting times and costs through efficiencies in care management. Through telehealth, the transition to a new era of PHC can be accelerated through technological advancements that drive us towards a more inclusive and accessible health care system for all. Concrete efforts should be focused on modernizing normative and legislative frameworks, investment in digital infrastructure, prioritizing the development of robust digital health infrastructures while ensuring that reliable internet access and digital tools are available across urban and rural areas alike. Enhancing digital literacy and telehealth competencies among health professionals and the population will maximize the utilization and effectiveness of digital health services. However, the lack of standardized policies and frameworks for telehealth is a significant barrier to its global adoption and, therefore, G20 nations can lead by example, working towards (a) developing international telehealth guidelines that consider ethical, privacy and security standards for telehealth services to facilitate cross-border healthcare delivery and secure data exchange; and (b) promoting interoperable telehealth platforms that can seamlessly exchange information, thus enhancing the continuity and quality of care. The G20’s leadership and commitment to integrating telehealth into the global health agenda can set an unprecedented opportunity for international cooperation in digital health. G20 countries can significantly impact global health outcomes by integrating telehealth at all levels of care and health service delivery networks, impacting the lives of billions around the world. Equity must remain central to our efforts as telehealth services are integrated into the model of care. This means ensuring the adoption of differentiated approaches in digital health based on (a) the characteristics of a territory (geographical dis- persion, status of infrastructure), (b) the beneficiary population to be served (their health needs, and cultural, racial and ethnic considerations) and (c) the health system capacities and organization (the health services network, coverage capacity and availability of multiprofessional teams). Health outcomes can be significantly positively impacted by undertaking bottom-up planning processes that take into account the latter considerations and by adapting the model of care to leverage the capacity of digital health. Embracing the Regional Roadmap for the Digital Transformation of the Health Sector in the Region of the Americas is imperative for countries aiming to develop expansive, resilient and inclusive health systems based on PHC (8,9). This comprehensive framework, backed by lessons learned and suc- cessful experiences, underscores the significant potential that digital transformation holds for improving health outcomes. Brazil's commitment to the consolidation of the Unified Health System (the Sistema Único de Saúde, or SUS) and its well-established Family Health Strategy as the foundation for the health and well-being of its population is being expressed through the rapid deployment of telehealth, and serves as a model of innovation and effectiveness, showcasing the transformative impact of digital health solutions on accessibility, efficiency and quality of care (10). This editorial, jointly prepared by rep- resentatives of the government of Brazil and PAHO advocates for global standardization of telehealth practices that ensures the scalability and sustainability of health interventions while addressing the core determinants of health equity.Item Revising primary and secondary school curricula in the Caribbean to enhance education on the risks for noncommunicable diseases(2023)[ABSTRACT]. In the English-speaking Caribbean, an estimated 46% of men and 61% of women are currently overweight or obese, and 8% of children younger than 5 years are also overweight. To combat this worsening epidemic, driven by unhealthy dietary patterns, the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) issued the 2007 Port-of-Spain Declaration, which included mandates on the provision of healthy school meals, promotion of healthy dietary patterns, and reintroduction of physical education in schools. 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This paper describes the process of revising the Caribbean Examinations Council’s Human and Social Biology syllabus for secondary schools and the CARICOM Health and Family Life Education Regional Curriculum Framework for primary schools, which was achieved through multisectoral collaboration. We used the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications-Enhanced model to describe the process through which the modifi- cations were made.Item Noncommunicable diseases: Advances, challenges and the path to multisectoral action(PAHO, 2025-10-06)Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)—including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases—account for approximately 80% of all deaths in the Region of the Americas, many of them premature and preventable. Reducing this burden requires much more than interventions in the health sector: it requires a comprehensive approach that addresses the social, commercial, and environmental determinants of health through coordinated multisectoral action. This fact sheet, developed by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), is aimed at national authorities and decision-makers who are leading the design of public policies, as well as the technical teams responsible for their implementation. The document provides a clear vision of the role of multisectoral action as an essential pathway to accelerating progress towards target 3.4 of the Sustainable Development Goals: to reduce by one third premature mortality from NCDs through prevention and treatment, and to promote mental health and well-being. The publication highlights that WHO-recommended cost-effective interventions, or ”best buys” (such as tobacco control, alcohol regulation, improving the food environment, promoting physical activity, and managing NCDs with a primary care approach using cost-effective technologies) require the joint effort of multiple sectors (including education, finance, transportation, urban planning, agriculture, the justice system, and the media) to achieve a significant impact at the population level. In addition to presenting the benefits of this approach, the main facilitators, barriers, and governance mechanisms necessary for its implementation are described, including specific examples of technical cooperation in the Region. The document also provides guidelines for institutionalizing multisectoral action in national health plans, regulatory frameworks, intersectoral coordination mechanisms, and monitoring systems. PAHO/WHO calls on Member States to strengthen high-level political commitment, allocate adequate resources, and consolidate governance structures to move toward more equitable, resilient, and people-centered health systems. Multisectoral action represents not only an opportunity, but also an indispensable condition for guaranteeing the right to health and accelerating compliance with regional and international commitments on NCDs. This publication is a key tool to guide decision-making and promote an articulated response to NCDs in the Americas. The time to act is now. PAHO/WHO is committed to supporting this process.