Status of School Health Promotion Activities at the Middle Stage under the Ayushman Bharat Programme in DoE Schools of Delhi

Abstract

Background Health and education are the two most vital parts of a country's growth, and schools are a very crucial place to bring them together. The Ayushman Bharat School Health Programme (SHP) was made to teach Indian school kids about health, how to take care of themselves, and how to get health care. Even while the program reaches a lot of people, there are still gaps in what students and other stakeholders really know about it, how they feel about it, and what problems they have with putting it into action. This study aims to address certain deficiencies by examining the experiences of principals, students, and parents in North-West Delhi. The results are meant to help make the program better and keep it in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Objectives The main aim was to assess awareness, opinions, and challenges regarding SHP among principals, students, and parents in middle stage (Classes 6–8) of Directorate of Education schools in North-West Delhi.

Methods A cross-sectional descriptive design was used. Structured questionnaires and interviews were conducted with principals, students, and parents to collect information on awareness, opinions, and challenges related to the programme.

Results Overall awareness of SHP areas like first aid, hygiene, nutrition, and emergency care was fairly high. Stakeholders usually spoke positively about the school’s health-promotion efforts. At the same time, some problems have come in areas such as regular health check-ups, immunization drives, and uniform delivery of health education.

Conclusion The SHP has been successful in building health promotion in schools to a large extent, but some crucial gaps remain especially in preventive services and equal implementation across schools. Stronger monitoring, more training for stakeholders, and better delivery systems will be needed to get the maximum impact from the programme.