The Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, will begin its Health, Youth, Positive Energy (HYPE) school tour in October, to promote healthy lifestyle choices among the nation’s young people.
In his address at the launch of Caribbean Wellness Day on August 17 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, in New Kingston, Minister of Health, Dr Christopher Tufton said the ministry is making a concerted effort to roll out the HYPE programme in all schools across the island.
“We have been working closely with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information in advancing the promotion of health in schools through this initiative. We have been empowering and engaging students in healthy lifestyle practices by taking simple measures to create a physical and social environment that supports healthier choices by students,” he said.
In the first instance, the HYPE school tour will take place in schools across the Ministry of Health’s southern, south-east, north-east and western regional health authorities.
The HYPE initiative provides a medium through which students are encouraged to maintain and promote healthy lifestyles and activities in schools and communities.
The ministry will be addressing several areas of health, including nutrition, physical activity, environmental health, mental health and substance abuse, violence and injury prevention, reproductive health, and school health services.
Meanwhile, director of health promotion and education in the Ministry of Health Takese Foga, told JIS News that the school tour is part of efforts by the health ministry to revitalise the Health Promoting School (HPS) initiative.
“The objective of the tour is to bring more attention to the HPS initiative. We want to highlight activities that are being done in schools to promote health. It is a public education campaign to highlight the simple measures that can be taken to help influence healthy choices,” she noted.
The pilot for the programme was conducted in 2012 in 56 schools.
Health educators across the ministry’s regional health authorities have been working closely with a team in the Ministry of Education to assist in the development and implementation of healthy lifestyle related activities in schools and communities.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines HPS as those institutions that strive to provide a healthy environment for learning and working.
Source: Jamaica Observer