446. Azorean Government invests in school health

Children and young Azorean up to 18 years, will now be subject to periodic health exams, starting next school year, as part of a school health program promoted by the Government of Azores.

The Regional Health School of Health and Children and Youth was presented today at the Auditorium of the Francisco Ornelas da Câmara Integrated School House, built in celebration of World Health Day On the occasion was also signed a protocol between the Regional Offices of Health and Education and Training, establishing mechanisms for cooperation to implement this innovative program, which contemplates the realization of several tests for detecting recurrent disease in such areas as oral health, obesity, vision and hearing.

It is intended to instill in students Kindergarten to Secondary powers of autonomy, responsibility and critical spirit necessary for the adoption of behaviors and lifestyles. The Department of Health will ensure that the Health Units include health promotion in schools in their business plans, while the Regional Secretariat for Education and Training undertakes to carry out a reorganization of programs in primary and secondary, in view of development of health education in school projects and class.

Will be formed 17 teams of school health, which include a doctor and a nurse on the basis of 24 hours per week for each group of 2500 students. They may also include, these teams other health Health and Education. The Regional Government, to intervene in the prevention and diagnosis, you will contribute to the health and welfare of our children, and simultaneously, it is expected that it will substantially reduce the social and economic costs arising from screening and treatment late, said the Regional Secretary for Education and Training.

For this project Lina Mendes health school has to function as a contribution from the Government to safeguard the health of younger populations, although it does not override the role of families and carers, who are primarily responsible for the main health of their children / students.

At a later stage it is the intention of the Regional Secretariat for Education and Training to create a database to ensure that each student in the Educational System of the Azores has a personal record, which includes not only information on their schooling, but also data on their health. According to Lina Mendes, this record will significantly improve levels of school management, since, for example, when a student change schools, the new educational establishment will have immediate access to the entire school history and health of the student who receives.

Secretary to the Regional Health Plan we have a great range in terms of prevention and, perhaps, one of the most solid investments in health. According to Miguel Correia many of our children and our youth are overweight, poor diet and little physical activity practice. Furthermore the constant threat of dependency will seriously jeopardize the full adoption of healthy lifestyles.

We want our children to be seen regularly by a doctor that their health parameters are evaluated periodically, that our young people know more about health, cooking know fast food, fun and healthy, he said.

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No one understands that these projects are not national in scope and restricted to only a very small percentage of children and youth of the country. It is these things that the promoters of health, in particular organizations of dentists must act with the government, including the Ministries of Health and Education and the Directorate General of Health; have courage and take the responsibility which they compete.

While not seriously invest in oral health care in all primary schools and health centers across the country will continue to be a European country remembered for the worst conditions of the oral health of the population.

We can not continue to bury our heads in the sand and leave everything as it is the same: the worst thing that today's generation can do is limit now to the oral health of our children and grandchildren, leaving it to luck and who have become first future candidates for adults angry with the system.