The Department was established in 2007, following a cabinet directive on 7th December, 2007 to scale up school health and nutrition programs in schools across the country.
Functions
- To provide policy guidance in school health nutrition HIV and AIDS, Gender, education in emergency programme in education sector.
- To conduct monitoring and evaluation exercise for the programme.
- To enhance coordination.
Ministerial and sectoral policies:
The department recognizes the following international and national instruments as key instruments for implementing school health nutrition HIV and AIDS Gender and education in emergencies programmes in Malawi:
- Malawi constitution
- Education Act
- National Education sector plan
- Nutrition policy 2006
- Food Security policy 2006
- Water policy 2005
- National Sanitation policy 2008
- Gender policy 2000
- National school health and nutrition strategic plan 2009-2018
- HIV and AIDS Mainstreaming Strategy for the Education Sector 2014-2018
- Ministry of Health Programme of works 2004
- Decentralization policy 1998
- Malawi Growth and Development Strategy II
- Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
- Human rights (Article 25 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
Core Interventions
School Health Interventions
- Physical healthy assessment
- De-worming
- Micronutrients supplementations
- Treatment of minor ailments
- Mental health
School Nutrition Interventions
- Nutrition Education
- School meals programme
- Productive school environment
HIV and AIDS Prevention and Management
- HIV and AIDS prevention
- Care and support of learners and teachers living positively
- Provision of life skills education
Water Sanitation and Hygiene Intervention
- Promotion of hand washing facilities in schools
- Water management
- Provision of adequate toilet and urinal facilities management
Gender Mainstreaming
- Girls’ education
- Support and strengthening mother groups
- Readmission policy
- Menstrual hygiene management
Education in Emergency
- Emergency Preparedness
- Emergency Response
- Emergency Recovery
Guidance and Counseling
- Training Trainer of Trainers in districts.
- Provision guidance and counseling in schools.
Activities within the 2013/2014 financial year
- Scaled up school meals programme from 1.2 million learners to 1.643,000 million learners.
- De-wormed 2.8 million learners in primary schools.
- Administered human papilloma virus vaccination to prevent cervical cancer (HPVC) to 11,000 girls in standard 4 in Zomba and Rumphi.
- Trained 400/500 standard 2 and 3 primary school teachers in oral health management. The remaining 100 teachers will be trained in Mzuzu in the month of July 2014.
- 44 primary school teachers graduated with Diploma certificate in guidance and counseling.
- Trained 11 officers in computer skills at Malawi Institute of Management.
- Facilitated development of girls’ education and communication strategies.
- Reviewed HIV and AIDS mainstreaming strategy in education sector.
- Drafted a comprehensive national school health and nutrition policy.
- Awarded two grants for school meals programme to FISD and Hungerlife funded by European Union. (50 new schools).
- Subcontracted GOPA to implement Home Grown School meals in 40 schools.
- Sponsored one officer to study Diploma course in guidance and counseling.
- Constructed 50 school kitchen and storage facilities.
- Facilitated 500,000 trees across the country.
- Decentralized core functions of school health and nutrition with budget line amounting to MK150 million.
- Conducted two studies (1). Capacity needs assessment for SHN Coordinators and (2) Malaria study in progress in Zomba.