School Health Promotion in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Regional Assessment

Abstract

This report presents the results of a regional assessment of the status of school health and the health-promoting schools (HPS) approach conducted jointly by PAHO, UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank during 2018–2019. The objectives of the assessment were to: 1) assess the context and broader policy environment of school health in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, including legislative frameworks; 2) identify the scope and form of school health programs and services available in the region, as well as opportunities for improvement, and 3) enable countries to share with each other their best practices and the lessons learned in developing and implementing school health policies, programs, and services. The assessment results also serve as a regional baseline for the initiative, launched in 2019 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNESCO, to make every school a health-promoting school. The results of this assessment are expected to contribute to strengthening the HPS approach in the LAC region on subnational, national, and regional levels, and to help accelerate progress toward achieving the SDGs for all children and adolescents in the region. This assessment was conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic. Its impact has underlined the prominent role and multiple benefits of schools as an environment for equitable protection and promotion of the health and well-being of children and adolescents during the pandemic and in the recovery phase.