Strengthening school health in Namibia: A framework for policy development, implementation and evaluation.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Education Policy
• Health Systems Research

Background:

• Rural Namibian schools face significant health issues including malnutrition, infectious diseases, and poor sanitation.
• These health challenges contribute to high learner absenteeism and negatively impact academic performance.
• Existing school health policies are often fragmented and inadequate for comprehensive problem-solving.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an evidence-based, contextually relevant conceptual framework for enhancing school health policies in Namibia.
• To provide a model applicable to similar resource-limited Southern African settings.
• To address the specific health and educational needs of learners in rural areas.

Main Methods:

• Convergent mixed-methods design integrating a systematic review of African school health policies.
• Qualitative data collection through 15 key informant interviews and 3 focus groups (n=30) with diverse stakeholders.
• Thematic analysis of qualitative data and synthesis of systematic review findings.

Main Results:

• A conceptual framework for Namibian school health policy was developed.
• The framework integrates evidence-based policy development, equitable resource allocation, capacity building, and monitoring & evaluation.
• Emphasis is placed on stakeholder collaboration and addressing rural challenges like infrastructure gaps.

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework offers an evidence-based, contextually tailored approach to improve school health policies in Namibia.
• It directly addresses the unique challenges faced in resource-limited Southern African educational settings.
• This differentiated model aims to improve learners' health and educational outcomes, moving beyond generic global strategies.