Social Issue

Over the past years, many developing countries have made enormous gains in improving early childhood health and reducing under-5 mortality.

Nevertheless, the health needs of children above 5-years-old continue to be critically overlooked. Unfortunately, illnesses in school-age children have a devastating impact on their health, learning, development, and future prospects.

Nearly 50% of Africa’s population is under 15. The continent’s future, and that of its children, depend on their ability to stay healthy, learn effectively, and reach their full potential.

Our Response

Starting in Zambia, Healthy Learners has developed a solution that connects school-aged children to primary care by expanding access to healthcare in schools. Over the past 6 years, Healthy Learners has worked closely with the Zambian government to develop, evaluate, and refine this model of school-based community healthcare. The Zambian government is planning to roll out this model on a national basis. 

• Healthy Learners trains selected teachers (as School Health Workers) to provide health education, assess and triage students, make referrals to clinics, and facilitate bi-annual mass drug administration (MDA) programs for deworming and vitamin A. The Ministry of Health provides all deworming medication and vitamin A supplementation for MDA.
• School Health Workers use tablets equipped with diagnostic software developed by their tech partner, THINKMD, enabling accurate clinical assessments, integrated decision support, data collection, ongoing quality monitoring, and community health surveillance. 
• Healthy Learners trains school administrators to oversee and manage the school health program and invests in community sensitisation to educate parents, guardians and community leaders about the program and health needs of school-aged children.
• Healthy Learners works with school administrators and the local government to establish health rooms at partner schools. The health rooms serve as locations where children know they can go when they are not feeling well to receive care from a School Health Worker. Their blueprint for the school health room has been adopted by the Ministry of Education as the national standard. The maintenance and medical supplies of the health rooms will be supported by the Zambian government. 

The Zambian government has adopted the model as national policy and is committed to working with Healthy Learners to scale it nationally. Netri’s grant will contribute to the Healthy Learners’ budget to fund the establishment of school health rooms, specifically in the Ndola district of the Copperbelt Province. The schools that have been identified for Netri’s grant are Chawama Primary, Mapalo Primary, Fibobe Primary, Lyuni Primary, Kabushi Primary, Twapia Primary  Kansenshi Primary.

Expected Social Impact

Healthy Learners’ model currently serves 280.000 children across 3 districts and is in the process of expanding into another 2 by 2022. By the time they complete their national expansion plan with the Zambian Government in 2024, a total of 1 million children will benefit from the model. 

An independent study conducted in 2019 by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health showed that self-reported illnesses fell by 38%, deworming and Vitamin A uptake increased by 48%, and the odds of stunting have been reduced by 52%. 

In terms of direct impact attribution, this grant from Netri will fund the building of 7 health rooms in partner schools, serving an estimated 14,100 children.