By year end, approximately 27,000 nursery school students will receive free health screening as part of an expansive programme being launched nationwide through a joint effort by the Ministries of Health and Education.
According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), the programme will be rolled out by the end of June. Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony recently explained that the aim of the programme is to ensure the nation’s children are offered preventative care and opportunities for a healthy lifestyle, through early detection of any health-related issues.
“We’re starting that programme this month and we have targeted 27,000 nursery school children to be completed before the year comes to an end,” Minister Anthony explained.
There will also be a package of services provided to all schools, where each child will be examined. They will receive dental and eye care, among other services.
“For persons at nursery, they’ll be screened once during that nursery period, then during primary we’ll screen again and then at secondary they’ll get another screening. So, over time, we will have the data to compare and to also intervene,” the health minister stated.
Guyana Standard understands that the programme also seeks to tackle the diverse challenges present in classrooms while simultaneously mitigating potential learning setbacks. The government said it also wants to foster an understanding among young individuals about the importance of maintaining an active lifestyle and consuming a nutritious diet.
Meanwhile, Coordinator of the Chronic Disease Unit, Dr Dianielle Drepaul stated that health programmes aimed at promoting healthy lifestyle choices have already been rolled out in Regions Two and Nine. The unit aims to target 55 schools in 2023 and eventually all schools.
