Understanding Health

A ddressing the H ealth N eeds of C hildren Institutions, teachers and reviewers play an important role in addressing the health needs of children. These are discussed below. Role of Schools Schools play a vital role in promoting the health and safety of young people and helping them to establish lifelong healthy behaviours. It is easier and more effective to develop healthy behaviours during childhood than trying to change unhealthy behaviours during adulthood. Many health risks behaviours are often established during childhood or adolescence and continued into adulthood. The following are the leading causes of diseases, death, disability, and social problems: •• Inadequate physical activity •• Unhealthy diet •• Substance misuse (Tobacco, alcohol and other drug use) •• Stress •• Behaviours that contribute to unintentional injury and violence •• Risky behaviours that can result in HIV infection, other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancy. Regular physical education classes can help children to develop a healthy lifestyle. Role of Teachers Teachers have a very important role to play during the period spent in schools. They need to understand and address the diverse needs of their students through innovative teaching methods, counseling and referral to specialists wherever required. They need to work closely with the parents and community on sensitive issues and the emerging challenges being faced by the children. The teacher can plan various need- based health promotion programmes for the empowerment of children such as, engaging in games and sports, physical activities, curricular and extra-curricular activities, nutrition education programmes, and preventive measures for substance misuse. Role of Adolescent-friendly Health Services The children during adolescence are usually considered a healthy cohort. They generally do not have any medical problem. They just want to have some more information or knowledge about some of the concerns that may be troubling their mind. Often they do not get any proper answer for their concern and get frustrated and feel lost. They can easily be misled, and hence get into wrong habits and adopt risky behaviours. Adolescents are often quite reluctant to share many of their problems with parents, family members and teachers. They feel scared, ashamed or shy to discuss their problems with them since they believe that these people will get upset and will not be sensitive to their concerns. That is why, we need to encourage them to speak about their personal concern to someone whom they trust. One of the emerging health needs of the adolescents is accessibility and availability of health services for various health issues. The healthcare workers can play an important role in making the services adolescent-friendly and encouraging them to use the health services more often. These services are provided by trained healthcare workers in adolescent-friendly health centres. These centers are being established by the government in the form of adolescent- friendly health clinics. The adolescents feel shy and are reluctant to use health services. Some of the reasons are lack of privacy or confidentiality, lack of patience and sensitivity among the health workers, and also lack of friendly behaviour from them. Role of Peer Educator or Peer Facilitator Training or providing education to some adolescents who can help, educate or counsel other adolescents is emerging as a powerful technique for addressing the health needs of the adolescents. Such adolescents are called as ‘Peer Group Facilitator/Educators’. They can help the adolescents to remove their shyness to talk to their parents, family members and teachers. Training is given to the children of senior classes to understand and guide to the best of their ability to address the health needs of friends, peers, and other children in the community. But at the same time, one should be aware of one’s limitations while giving information regarding sensitive issues and problems. Refer them to teachers or adolescent friendly services for appropriate support. As peer facilitator, Activity . Does your school provide training to be a peer facilitator? If not, please discuss it with your class teacher. Ask your school to take up the training of peer group educator/facilitator. one can help the teacher in organising various activities related to adolescents’ issues and concerns. To be a peer group educator/facilitator, you should •• be a good listener. •• have knowledge about various health issues of the children during adolescence age. •• be friendly, influential and acceptable to adolescent children. •• be trusted and truthful. •• use creative and innovative approach while dealing with problems. •• be non-judgmental. •• practice confidentiality. •• be a good role model in the school and society.