Better health care services for children in one third of the country's schools

Habits formed in childhood remain for life; therefore, it is recommended to raise children’s self-awareness in pre-school and general education institutions by means of showing vividly why it is important and how to take care of their health. Under the projects financed from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism it is planned to repair and equip the health offices at schools in 22 municipalities providing them with the furniture, equipment and modern visual aids that will help children to better realize the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, to understand negative impact of harmful health habits and unhealthy nutrition.

Although public health care specialists at schools organize events, discussions and lectures for children on various topics related to health care, healthy lifestyle and similar topics, however, their work is limited due to the lack of equipment necessary to perform such activities and aesthetically unappealing premises. Health offices are furnished with old furniture, equipment are worn out physically and morally or do not exist at all. There is also a lack of methodological and educational visual aids.

Based on the results of the research conducted by the Centre for Health Education and Disease Prevention in 2013 and the data of the targeted survey conducted by Vilnius Public Health Bureau in 2014, almost 54 per cent of the public health care specialists working at schools and more than 30 per cent of the heads of schools indicated that specialists lack working tools (equipment, visual aids) most of all. Basically it is due to the lack of funding for the provision of health care services at education institutions.

Under the projects of the measure “Improvement of the Provision of Health Care Services in Schools and Pre-school Education Institutions” under Programme No. LT11 “Public Health Initiatives” of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2009-2014, 537 health offices will be repaired/equipped: 203 health  offices in preschool education institutions and 334 in general education institutions. Projects activities include general repairs of health offices, acquisition of furniture and equipment intended for the assessment of public health risk factors (height gauges, body fat scales, etc.) and assessment of environment of an education institution (meters necessary to measure carbon dioxide, humidity, illumination, noise level, etc.), information and communication technology equipment (multimedia, hanging screens, etc.), methodological aids (educational software, etc.). Health offices will also be equipped with modern visual aids for the development of healthy lifestyle skills, including first aid training, promotion of physical activity and healthy nutrition, prevention of injuries and harmful health habits, sex education, development of  hygiene skills and improvement of mental health. Under the projects funded from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism it is planned to acquire first aid training manikins, lung volume meters, pedometers, nutrition pyramid puzzles, food calorie counters, patterns of clogged arteries, overweight simulation vests, 3D stands to illustrate obesity effects, sets of models of injuries and traumas, drunk goggles, alcohol prevention games, 3D stands about the consequences of the use of alcohol, kits to develop personal hygiene skills, educational kits for dealing with conflict situations and etc.

The acquired modern visual aids will help to present information in a more attractive manner and for children - to understand it easier. Through visual aids illustrating the negative impact of harmful health habits, unhealthy lifestyle and passivity negative effects on the body, children will better realize the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Health training provided will encourage choosing healthy ways of spending leisure time and contribute to the reduction of the likelihood of a risky behaviour. Upon completion of the regular repairs of health offices, work with children will be carried out in the environment that is healthier, safer and aesthetically more attractive.

Children will apply the healthy lifestyle skills acquired in education institutions and will entrench / apply them in their families in the future; therefore, the condition of health of the population will improve in general, health inequalities will decrease.

Projects are implemented in 2015–2016.

More information about projects