Preventive health for school-age children in a developing country: Brazil

The vast territorial expanse of Brazil and the great discrepancies of socioeconomic conditions, varying with the geoeconomic area considered, make health education for school-age children (7-14 years) difficult. Besides the shortage of classrooms, there is also a high level of school failure and school evasion in elementary school, especially in the North-East, the poorest region of the country. Of the enrolled children in the 1st grade, less than 20% go through to the 8th grade. School evasion reaches its maximum (44-46%) at the 1st and the 2nd grade levels Despite the 'health integration' programs established by the Government and the building of several thousands of classrooms and countless health units in the last 3-4 years, the provision of preventive health measures and preventive health education for schoolchildren is still far from satisfactory.