Essential health care package for children--the 'Fit for School' program in the Philippines

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Preventive Medicine
• Global Health

Background:

• High prevalence of poverty-related diseases like diarrhea, respiratory infections, parasitic infections, and dental caries in children in developing nations.
• Need for a return to primary healthcare principles emphasizing disease prevention.
• International recommendations for health promotion strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the 'Fit for School' program in the Philippines as a feasible, low-cost, and realistic strategy for disease prevention.
• To highlight the use of school structures for implementing preventive health strategies based on the Ottawa Charter.
• To showcase the program's success and scalability.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of simple, evidence-based interventions within school settings.
• Routine school activities include hand washing with soap and tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste.
• Inclusion of high-impact interventions such as bi-annual deworming for all public elementary school children.

Main Results:

• Successful rollout in the Philippines, reaching 630,000 children across 22 provinces.
• Demonstrated feasibility and cost-effectiveness of school-based preventive health strategies.
• Established a scalable model for widespread implementation.

Conclusions:

• The 'Fit for School' program effectively addresses the high burden of childhood diseases in the Philippines.
• School-based preventive health programs are a viable and impactful approach to primary healthcare.
• The program's success indicates potential for replication in other developing regions.