Regional schools and healthcare centres have organised 1722 awareness-raising actions on the importance of healthy lifestyles under the Regional School Health and Child and Youth Health Programmes in the school year 2010/2011.

These activities have addressed issues related to healthy eating, oral health, mental health, physical activity, consumption of legal and illegal substances, sexual and reproductive health, environment and school, violence and bullying prevention.

Under the same programme, overall health exams were carried out in children aged 5-6 and 11-13. The vaccination of students and the remaining school community has also been updated. 11 Health Offices were in operation at secondary schools in the past school year.
 
Moreover, the assessment of safety, health and hygiene conditions of school buildings has begun this year.

The implementation report, now presented, mentions that the organisation of these activities has covered all 14 healthcare and school units, integrated into 36 schools, involved a total of 337 professionals in the school health teams: 124 teachers, 57 nurses, 64 physicians, 34 psychologists, 8 nutritionists and dieticians, 3 physical therapists, 7 environmental health technicians and 2 speech therapists.

According to Manuela Ferreira, programme manager, all healthcare centres and school units presented a school health activity plan and have focused on its implementation. Despite being the first year of programme implementation and the time spent in the planning and organisation, the outcome is positive and the proposed goals were accomplished.

The Regional School Health and Child and Youth Health Programmes were created with the purpose of contributing to the improvement of the educational and health level of the Azorean school populations, taking into account that schools - in close collaboration with healthcare centres - may constitute itself as an opportunity to promote the adoption of healthier behaviours as well as healthy lifestyles among the educational community and the surrounding community.

The activities and actions developed throughout this school year evidence that the cooperation between healthcare units and schools is right track for the success of these measures.
The programme coordinator is confident that we can go further next year with a well-established plan.