Challenges to ethical integration of reproductive health education in schools of Tshwane District, South Africa

The Integrated School Health Policy was set to ensure the incorporation of a multi-disciplinary approach to health care in South African schools. However, the implementation of sexuality and reproductive health teaching and learning has not been without problems. Central to sexuality and reproductive health education is the common ethical application of the subject in teaching. School sexuality and reproductive health education have proved to be a sensitive issue across a socio-cultural environment. Compliance with ISHP programs in sexuality and gender orientation is related to the inclusion of a more comprehensive education for learners to cover human rights and sexual diversity. This paper aims to reflect on the ethical challenges related to the integration of reproductive health education and teaching in schools in the City of Tshwane. This study applied a descriptive exploratoryquantitative research design. Data was collected using a survey questionnaire and a checklist, and applied stratified random sampling to select schools that participated in the study. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics which included frequencies and percentages (%). The results show that the absence of health care values in organisational strategies will challenge the ethical dimension relating to sexuality and reproductive health education. The ethical dilemma of teaching sexual and reproductive health in schools can prove to be a challenging exercise since its a sensitive issue in most societies. Sexuality and reproductive health education is compounded by a lack of clear guidelines in the ISHP programs and the diversity of stakeholders that do not hold a common or standardised ethical framework. Furthermore, lack of sufficient teacher preparation adds to the ethical dilemma in managing school ethical issues in general. (Afr J Reprod Health 2022; 26[4]: 75-81).

School-based yoga intervention increases adolescent resilience: a pilot trial

Background: Youth often experience stressors leading to negative long-term outcomes. Enhancing social-emotional attributes is important to foster resiliency to face these challenges. Yoga may enhance social-emotional resiliency among youth. However, research replicating such results in school-settings is limited. This research details an investigation of the effects of the Kripalu Yoga in the Schools (KYIS) intervention integrated into a physical education class among a racially/ethnically diverse student population. Method: Middle school sixth grade students (n = 23 students; 52% female; mean age = 12.1 years) were either enrolled in physical education class that included KYIS (n = 9), or were enrolled in art and music (control condition; n = 14). To evaluate effects on student characteristics, self-report questionnaires of social-emotional competence and problem behaviour were administered pre- and post-delivery of the curriculum. Results: Students receiving the intervention increased in social-emotional competence over time relative to the control condition. Although promising, results should be interpreted with caution, as students who received the yoga intervention scored significantly lower on social-emotional competence than students in the control group at pre-intervention measurement time point. Conclusions: Yoga may improve social-emotional competence among youth and future research should explore the utility of yoga curricula in school settings

An appraisal of the school health programme in primary schools in a rural community in Nigeria

Background:In a developing country with a large population and a high childhood mortality rate, it is important to have a good and properly organized School Health Programme to cater for the health needs of school children. Objectives: This study aimed at assessing the quality and efficacy of the School Health Programme in public primary schools in a rural community in Nigeria. Methods:A cross-sectional study was carried out in all the five public primary schools in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State. An observational checklist was used, adapted from a similar study by Kuponiyi et al.A scoring system was used to grade the schools as good, fair or poor. Descriptive statistics were generated using SPSS version 21.Results:The public primary schools had good healthful school environments and school feeding services,but poor skill-based health education and school health services. Conclusions:From the assessment of the School Health Programme in these schools, it was seen that overall,the schools had a fair School Health Programme in place,although they were deficient in some vital facilities. It is necessary for all stakeholders in these schools to provide the materials and human resources needed to achieve an effective School Health Programme

Health Survey of Primary School Children: Outcome and Implication for Strengthening School Health Inspection in Abraka; Delta State; Nigeria

Background: Health inspection involves physical observation of the general appearance; mouth and teeth; nose and throat; skin; ears; eyes; scalp and hair; and behavior of children at play. The objective of this study was therefore to conduct a health survey of primary school children with a view to providing relevant information with policy implication for strengthening school health inspection in Abraka; Delta State; Nigeria. Method: This is a school based cross-sectional descriptive study conducted from September 2009 to February 2010 among primary school children in Abraka selected by multistage sampling technique. The studyinstrument was a pro-forma with twenty items subdivided into two sections.Results : The outcome of health inspection of the children revealed that over half (57.1) of them had dirty nails; while 45.0; 29.8; 21.2; 18.6and 1.8of them had dirty uniform; dental caries; skin infections; dirty hair and ear discharge respectively. The association between the occurrence of dirty nails; dirty uniform; dirty hair and dental caries with the type of primary school (private or public) were statistically significant (P0.05); while the association between the occurrence of ear discharge and skin infection with the type of primary school were not statistically significant (P0.05). Conclusion: This study has revealed the poor state of affairs as regards school health inspection of primary school children in Abraka

Percutaneous Heart Valve Interventions: a South African Perspective

Valvular heart disease represents a significant health care challenge in South Africa; mainly due to the prevalence of rheumatic fever. This review discusses the recent advances in percutaneous heart valve treatment; including heart valve replacement; as an alternative to open prosthetic valve replacement and it's relevance in South Africa. Balloon mitral valvotomy is discussed with emphasis on patient selection; management during pregnancy and management in the presence of left atrial thrombus. Further developments regarding the percutaneous treatment of mitral valve disease include percutaneous treatment of mitral incompeheumatic heart disease meets all the epidemiological criteria for screening in the South African population. The incorporation of echocardiographic screening programmes into the school health system and in antenatal clinics for the pre-symptomatic diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease could result in the reduction of morbidity and mortality through the early and wide application of secondary antibiotic prophylaxis.;;Rheumatic Fever

Status and Visions for the School Health Service as Reported by Local Health Care Workers in Northern Tanzania

Objective: The World Health Organization's (WHO) Global School Health Initiative provides a strategy to utilize schools to promote health and reduce the burden of diseases worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate local school health work in Tanzania in relation to existing national guidelines and the WHO initiative. Methods: We intervie- wed 30 health care workers employed at 15 health institutions throughout Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions. Results: The results indicate a wide gap between the national and international guidelines for school health programs and the health workers' current practices. We found the main obstacles to providing adequate health care to be related to the burden of poverty that influences all levels of school health services; lack of clarity regarding the current official guidelines for school health services; and lack of appropriate offers for continuing education in the area of school health services. Conclusion: In order to successfully establish an integrated school health service; the working relationship between schools; health centres and the community clearly needs improvement

Sanitation in schools in Yaounde : cause for concern

The objective of the study was to survey school sanitation facilities in two health districts in Yaounde. Questionnaires were administered to head teachers by medical students during the sanitary inspection of school premises. 15 out of 30 schools surveyed (50 percent) did not have the minimum number of toilets ; 25 schools (83 percent) did not have enough wash basins while 27 (90 percent) did not have enough urinals. All nursery schools had soap; toilet paper and hand towels in wash rooms as opposed to very few primary and secondary schools. School health nurses were not involved in health education and sanitation activities. Both head teachers and surveyors rated sanitation in the schools to be fair or poor in well over 59 percent of cases. Recommendations have been made for present Cameroonian sanitary norms to be updated and their strict application ensured

Report of the National Planning Workshop on child health; nutrition and school participation

A strategy to improve the child health; nutrition and school participation of school age children in disadvantaged communities of Zimbabwe was an experimental project which was carried out by the Government of Zimbabwe and UNESCO

A report on school health services in Botswana; 1992 : review and recommendations

This report is the result of a 3 months consultancy initiated by the Ministry of Health through the Family Health Division (FHD). The main objectives of the consultancy have been to review the present school health programme and make recommendations for improving the programme. An additional task has been to assess the school needs of hospitalized school children