Multisectoral School Health Plan Nears Finalization
Algeria's national multisectoral strategic plan for prevention and health promotion in schools is nearing its final stages, as announced by Health Minister Mohamed Seddik Ait Massaoudane. This initiative is the result of an extensive consultative and evaluative process, designed to establish an an integrated national vision that directly addresses the actual needs of the school environment. Its development involved coordinated efforts with the Ministries of National Education, Youth, Interior, Local Authorities, and Transport, underscoring the importance of integrated roles and joint actions in fostering a healthy and safe educational setting.
The plan is set to become a national reference for collaborative action, clearly defining priorities, roles, and responsibilities, while translating national directives into executable programs supported by transparent monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. The next phase will involve a transition from individual initiatives to a unified national vision, emphasizing enhanced governance, standardized criteria, and continuous field monitoring to achieve tangible and sustainable results. To support this, a National Committee of School Health Experts has been established, alongside a National Multisectoral Committee for School Health Promotion, providing scientific and technical guidance and fostering unified approaches to student health. Furthermore, a joint ministerial decision project is being prepared to standardize technical criteria for human resources, furniture, and equipment dedicated to school health detection and follow-up structures.
The ambition extends beyond merely developing school health services to cultivating health-promoting schools that nurture a generation more conscious of its well-being and capable of adopting healthy behaviors to prevent diseases and mitigate risk factors. Achievements to date, coupled with ongoing programs, lay the foundation for a new phase characterized by strategic planning, scientific expertise, continuous training, effective coordination, and field evaluation. International bodies have acknowledged Algeria's efforts, with UNICEF noting the country's robust school health system, which includes over 2000 detection and follow-up units and more than 7000 specialists. The World Health Organization has also commended the attention Algerian health authorities dedicate to school health and the dynamic cooperation across relevant sectors.
