August 2020: PHF is collaborating with BHN Japan to promote the health knowledge and practice (including specific knowledge and practice on general health, sanitation and hygiene) and disaster management of the students in Gwa Township, Rakhine State, through effective use of new Learning Assist Systems to be installed in selected Basic Education Schools, in Gwa Township, Rakhine State.

Updating Village Health Profile and Health Profile of Students from 15 selected Schools/Villages:

Health check-up of students (Students of KG class, Grade 4, Grade 8, and Grade 10/12 – around 20 selected students per each category) will be carried out, to identify major NCD (nutrition status, smoking and smokeless tobacco use prevalence (10-15 years), use of alcohol (10-15 years), number of hours of exercise per week, health seeking behaviour, etc. (Note: Health check-up of students have been carried out in late January and early February 2020.)

1. Investigation of the health and socio-economic status of 15 selected villages, where schools have been selected, was conducted in March-June 2020. Information collected included: Number of Households, Number of Population (Total, major age-groups, male/female), health facility/health volunteers, education facility, major economic activity, disease profile (communicable diseases including Malaria, etc.), Pregnant Mothers (Access to Care), list of Households with water supply and sanitation facility, etc.; occurrence of any major disasters, etc. Profiles of Village Health and Health of School Children have been completed and shared with relevant authorities in August 2020.
2. Complete LCA systems were installed in 4 selected schools.
3. PHF Team has collected or developed Health Literacy materials and disaster management education, available at PHF, MoHS and MSWRR.
4. Advocacy meetings were held for the project at State/Township and Village levels, including formation of School-based Health Literacy Promotion Working Groups (SWG), from January to June 2020.
5. Training of volunteers as members of School-based Health Literacy Promotion Working Groups, to be assigned for health literacy promotion (health promoter): One of the members of Parent-Teacher Association was done in 12 Villages. Health Literacy Promotion Campaign, utilizing the newly installed LCA system, will be organized in these villages if security situation permits. Health and social messages (previously developed by the MoHS and PHF and also newly developed based on school-based health profiles) will be broadcasted according to the set-schedule on daily, weekly and monthly calendar program.
6. PHF will provide guidelines for the campaign for each school. Special lectures/ health talks will be organized with the involvement of local BHS staff.  Booklets/ Pamphlets/Posters and other health literacy materials will be distributed.
7. PHF will deploy necessary Field Staff, whose major role are training, supervision and monitoring.  They need to visit each school as per monthly/quarterly travel schedule.
8. Six-monthly and Annual Review will be carried out by the central team.