School Health Program of HWC has released its midterm report, in which it has addressed the work and achievements of the program’s team in the schools of the occupied Jerusalem. Since 1990, the program has been operating in 62 Jerusalemite schools including private, non for profit and public schools that are administrated by the Palestinian Ministry of Education. The program has been providing health services and organizing cultural and health events including conducting diagnostic medical examination and preventive screenings. This is in addition to supervising environmental health and health awareness activities. Moreover, the program is taking the lead on implementing the National Immunization Comprehensive Program of the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) in Jerusalemite schools.

During the first semester of the school year of 2014/2015, the program has organized several activities including comprehensive medical examinations, diagnostic medical examinations and preventive screenings. The program’s activities have been implemented in 24 Jerusalemite schools benefiting 920 first grade students including 413 males and 506 females.

The following diagnosis has been identified through the medical and diagnostic medical examinations:

 

All cases that have been diagnosed were referred to specialists and other health centers.

In regards to  the dental care health services, the oral examination has been performed for 2,543 students including 632 males and 1,911 females of first, fourth, seventh and tenth grades. The following cases were diagnosed through the oral examination:

 

It was found that 345 students had no dental health problems.

In terms of vision examination, it was performed for 2,727 students including 1,216 males and 1,510 females from first, fifth, and eighth grades. The following cases were diagnosed through the vision examination:

 

The program’s team has organized several health awareness activities. The team has supervised the student committees of the “Wall Health Magazine” as 72 magazines, which addressed topics on nutrition, clean school environment, and communicable diseases, have been issued in 24 schools. Also, they have supervised the student committees of the “School Radio”; there has been 212 “School Radio” sessions that have lasted between 2-3 minutes in which subjects on clean school environment, risks associated with smoking, personal hygiene, the importance of breakfast, vaccination, oral hygiene and others.

Concerning the health awareness lectures, 273 school lectures have been conducted in all schools for 45 minutes per lecture benefiting 6,926 students including 2,162 males and 4,764 females. In addition to that 25 lectures and training sessions have been provided for 830 of the student’s parents in which topics on personal hygiene and nutrition have been addressed. In line with that the program’s team has provided 34 trainings for 1,011 students including 405 males and 606 females. Also, the program has organized 6 lectures and meetings benefiting 109 faculty members.   

First aid and medical services have been provided through the program; medical services have been provided for 644 student patients and 106 faculty members during the first half of the academic year.

In order to ensure effective involvement of the student’s parents, 108 student’s mothers were interviewed for discussing different health topics concerning their children including following-up on the referred cases for medical intervention, personal hygiene, and bedwetting.

Lastly, the school health program’s team has organized 44 medical days and group breakfast events benefiting 6,567 male and females’ students and 165 student’s parents.