Kenya comprehensive school health policy: lessons from a pilot program

Authors

  • Job Wasonga CARE International in Kenya, Kisumu
  • Betty Ojeny CARE International in Kenya, Kisumu
  • Gordon Oluoch CARE International in Kenya, Kisumu
  • Ben Okech CARE International in Kenya, Kisumu

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2014.313

Keywords:

Kenya, school health, policy, comprehensive school health policy.

Abstract

The study assessed the implementation of Kenya comprehensive school health pilot intervention program. This pilot program has informed the Kenya Comprehensive School Health Policy which is a critical document in the achievement of Millennium Development Goals relating to child health, gender equality, universal education and environmental sustainability. The study was based on focus group discussions, field observations and in-depth interviews with government officers who implemented the pilot program. The findings were categorized into implementation process, what is working well, what is not working well and lessons learned. During the course of the study, it was noted that involvement of all stakeholders enhances program ownership and sustainability but if they are not well coordinated or where supportive supervision and monitoring is not carried out, then some components of the comprehensive school health program may not be sustainable. We learnt that comprehensive school health program increases students’ enrolment, attendance and retention, factors that are very important in a country’s human resources development. The study has shown that although the formulation of a policy may be participatory and bottom-top, the implementation requires allocation of enough resources and coordination to bridge the gap between policy formulation and implementation.
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Published

19-06-2014

How to Cite

Wasonga, J., Ojeny, B., Oluoch, G., & Okech, B. (2014). Kenya comprehensive school health policy: lessons from a pilot program. Journal of Public Health in Africa, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2014.313

Issue

Section

Original Articles

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