Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala is placing students at the centre of a comprehensive school programme titled Aksharam Arogyam, which focuses on teaching children the importance of basic first aid, menstrual hygiene and everyday healthy habits.
The initiative is being rolled out by the state health department with the support of the general education department to ensure the overall physical and mental well-being of children.
It encourages children to grow not just as learners but also as health ambassadors who can carry awareness from classrooms to homes and communities, State Health Minister Veena George said in a release on Wednesday.
The programme will cover students from classes 1 to 12 in all government and aided schools, aiming to identify health concerns early and ensure timely care.
The government aims to take health awareness from classrooms to homes and further into the community by empowering children with health knowledge and good habits, it added.
George said children could play an important role in influencing healthier lifestyles within their families and society.
Under the programme, students will undergo regular health check-ups and receive a health card that records key health details.
This card will later be converted into a secure electronic health card and stored at the state data centre with complete privacy.
In emergencies, this digital record can offer timely support and guidance for treatment, it added.
Schools will also serve as hubs for regular health awareness activities, with health assemblies and health corners to be set up.
Teachers will be appointed as health mentors and trained using modules prepared jointly by the health and education departments.
These mentors will provide structured health education sessions covering 11 themes across four major areas at regular intervals, the release said.
Health education will be delivered in an age-appropriate and student-friendly manner to encourage curiosity, participation and scientific understanding.
To ensure active student involvement, one or two students from each class will be selected as health ambassadors. These students will help share health messages among their peers in a more relatable and engaging way, it said.
The programme will also strengthen existing school health initiatives such as iron and folic acid supplementation, adolescent health programmes, immunisation drives and menstrual hygiene education.
In addition, students and teachers will be trained in a phased manner to provide basic first aid during emergencies, whether at school, at home or while travelling, the release said.
The initiative is expected to contribute to the mental, academic and physical development of students, helping build a healthier generation, it added.
The state-level inauguration of the Aksharam Arogyam School Health Programme will be held on February 6 at 11 am at Cotton Hill Government Higher Secondary School.
George will inaugurate the programme, and Education Minister V Sivankutty will preside over the event.
