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A school in one of the villages of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province that lacks basic facilities such as electricity, water, heating system, and suitable educational space.

World Health Day slogan (April 7th): This year, increased protection against diseases transmitted by insects is crucial. These diseases are more prevalent in warm and humid regions. Among them, malaria is the most well-known for Iranians. In the religious book Avesta, fever and chills are mentioned, and the terms “typhoid fever”, “intermittent fever”, and “chills” are repeatedly mentioned in the books Canon of Medicine by Ibn Sina and Zakhireh Khwarazmshahi. This disease is transmitted by a mosquito called “Anopheles” from an infected person to a healthy person.

In the past, malaria was widespread in Iran and was considered a terrifying disease in terms of casualties. According to some reports in 1303, when the population of Iran was around 13 million, between 4 to 5 million Iranians were infected with malaria and out of every 10 deaths, 4 people died due to malaria. Currently, malaria has been almost eradicated in most parts of the country and is only limited to the southern regions of Kerman province and Sistan and Baluchestan and Hormozgan provinces. The World Health Organization’s focus this year is on the poor countries of Africa where vector-borne diseases are still widespread and deadly.

In Iran, World Health Day is officially recognized and, in addition, to draw more attention to health issues and at the suggestion of the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education, in 2002, an official event called Health Week (April 18-24) was approved by the Public Culture Council and this event was added to the country’s calendar in 2003. However, in Iran, the slogan and priorities are different. This year’s slogan for Health Week is “A Lifetime of Health with Self-Care”. According to the Ministry of Health’s directive, due to the Nowruz holiday and limited time for planning and implementation, this year’s Health Week will start a little later, from the first of Ordibehesht month.

The name of the first day of Health Week this year is “Empowering Youth and Adolescents for Self-Care”. Holding speeches, painting and essay writing competitions about health are among the programs of this week in schools across the country. The Ministry of Education has also asked students to participate in the “President’s Health Question” competition through an announcement. The President’s question is: “What can we do to keep our bodies healthy and resilient?”

Prevention of diseases is more effective and beneficial during childhood and adolescence. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes the right for children to have access to healthcare services, as childhood is the foundation for physical, mental, emotional, and social growth. Additionally, children are vulnerable due to their age and this vulnerability requires appropriate laws and necessary support and care to ensure their physical and mental well-being. It is also important to recognize that children not only differ from adults in terms of quantity, but also in terms of quality, as they have their own desires, needs, and unique characteristics. Therefore, from a legal standpoint, they require specific and different laws from adults.

In Article 24 of the Children’s Rights Agreement, entitled “Health Services”, we read: “Children have the right to the highest level of health and medical services. Governments must pay special attention to the expansion and provision of universal health care, as well as health education.” Health services take precedence over medical services. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as follows: “Health is the science and art of preventing diseases and prolonging life and promoting health through social efforts.”

Investment of countries in health and education of students is not an expense, but rather a highly profitable and foundational investment. After the family institution, school is the most important institution for the upbringing and care of children. Children spend most of their time in school, besides their home. In Iran, children between the ages of 6 and 17 are in the age of education. What rights do these children have in terms of health and how much attention is paid to their health rights?

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A school in one of the villages in East Azerbaijan province that has been built in a container.

According to existing regulations and rules, education and training should take place in a safe and hygienic environment, while considering factors such as classroom capacity, lighting, ventilation, temperature, noise, safety facilities, prevention and response equipment, cleanliness, waste collection and disposal system, sanitary services, clean air, healthy drinking water, etc. in schools. These are the individual and social rights of children.

Iranian schools are not equal in terms of adhering to these factors in similar conditions and situations. In urban schools, the density of students in the classroom is usually high, and rural schools face serious problems with their heating and cooling systems. In some areas, such as the province of Khuzestan, a number of schools are deprived of access to safe drinking water. In Tehran and most major cities, air pollution threatens the health of children. The facilities for dealing with emergencies in schools are very weak, and most importantly, according to officials’ statements, about 30% of schools have non-resistant structures and are highly vulnerable to disasters such as earthquakes.

In the regulations of school environmental health, health and safety standards have been carefully considered, but in practice, the level of safety and hygiene in many schools is much lower than the regulations. Factors such as proximity to pollution-generating facilities such as industrial factories, chemical plants, livestock farms, and poultry farms, railways and highways (due to noise pollution), land and building density, provision of green spaces, creation of sports fields and sanitary spaces, limitation of floors, floor coverings, staircase conditions, sufficient lighting, wall and board colors, and placement of boards are among the essential standards for schools.

According to regulations, in villages that have piped water, the school must be connected to the village’s water network. In schools that do not have access to piped water or face water shortages, installation of a sanitary water source, storage of drinking water, and other sanitary uses are necessary for each student, with a minimum of 15 liters per day, while adhering to regulations. The students’ public drinking fountain must be equipped with a water cooler and at least one drinking faucet should be provided for every 45 students. The drinking fountain must be located outside of the sanitary facilities, with a minimum distance of 15 meters and following sanitary conditions. The number of toilets in the school should be one toilet for every 40 students and one urinal for every 60 students. The use of liquid soap in the toilets is necessary, and it is preferable to use a fixed liquid soap dispenser and piping on the toilets.

In the regulations, it is emphasized that ergonomic standards (physical relations of the body) for students should be in accordance with the standards and regulations for different levels of education. While in schools, students in all levels of education should sit for hours on wooden benches with a width of 20 to 25 centimeters and without back support. The uncomfortable sitting position has a negative effect on children’s learning. In addition, it can lead to skeletal abnormalities.

A health coach is expected to be present in schools to implement and monitor safety and hygiene measures. Personal hygiene education for students, their parents and colleagues, providing first aid in necessary situations, and maintaining the hygiene and safety of the school environment are all part of the responsibilities of the health coach. The health coach also conducts examinations and screenings for students during registration and the issuance of health certificates, refers patients to medical centers, monitors the nutrition of students, oversees the hygiene of the school cafeteria, and implements health programs in schools, among other duties.

All students are insured against accidents at school and on trips, and the insurance fee is collected from parents upon registration. The insurance fee for the 92-93 academic year was 3,000 tomans for each student. However, neither the school nor the parents take this insurance seriously. The coverage of this insurance for medical expenses, disability, and death is low.

According to regulations, for every 750 students, there should be a full-time health coach present in the school. However, currently, out of approximately 100,000 schools in the country, only 5,700 health coaches are actively working. Two-thirds of our schools are completely deprived of having a health coach. The need for health coaches is greater in elementary schools. The Ministry of Education is not able to hire the necessary number of health coaches due to financial reasons and lack of funding. Meanwhile, according to officials of this ministry, there is a surplus of 58,000 to 100,000 health coaches.