Publication: Strengthening the Education Sector Response to School Health, Nutrition and HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean Region : A Rapid Survey of 13 Countries
Date
2009-03
ISSN
Published
2009-03
Author(s)
Abstract
Recent studies point to a number of
current and emerging concerns in the health and nutrition of
school-age children in the Caribbean region. Critical among
them are: infectious diseases including HIV and other
sexually transmitted infections (STIs); non-communicable
diseases (NCDs); and violence. Common health conditions
including diabetes, hypertension and heart disease in the
adult population can be positively linked to unhealthy
lifestyles in youth. These health challenges, combined with
a large school-age population, which in some countries may
be a sizable third of the overall population, make a strong
national response to the health and nutritional needs of
school-age children particularly vital. As lifelong patterns
of behavior and thinking are established during youth, it is
critical to ensure early and widespread promotion of healthy
practices related to sexual behavior, nutrition and a
healthy lifestyle in general in the school-age population,
resulting in a healthier adult population in the future. The
rapid survey and this resulting report contribute to the
collection of locally relevant evidence, as well as regional
information relevant to School Health and Nutrition (SHN)
and HIV, to build a sound evidence base at both country and
regional levels to inform policy and strategy. It has
further application as a resource for knowledge sharing as
it provides a comparative perspective on activities and
initiatives thus far implemented throughout the Caribbean
region, and on the allocation and mobilization of resources
used to support these activities and initiatives.
Citation
“O'Connell, Tara; Venkatesh, Mohini; Bundy, Donald. 2009. Strengthening the Education Sector Response to School Health, Nutrition and HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean Region : A Rapid Survey of 13 Countries. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/2a4fd825-baa9-5b28-80c8-e7cce70264e7 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”