SPAESHA Project paves way for comprehensive SHNA policy.
delegates at the close out meeting of the SPAESHA.
The SPAESHA project is set to play a significant role in shaping the new School Health Nutrition HIV and AIDS-SHNHA policy in Malawi.
The project, which ran from 2022 to 2024, conducted qualitative research and provided recommendations to enhance learners’ health and nutrition.
Some key areas the new policy will focus on include making WASH facilities accessible to learners with special needs, addressing limitations in school meals programs, and training education staff on pandemic and epidemic preparedness.
Speaking during during the close out meeting of the SPAESHA activity on Friday, in Mponela, Dowa, Deputy Director for SHNHA in the Ministry of Education Maureen Maguza Tembo says the project will inform the development of a comprehensive new policy, addressing the shortcomings of the current one.
Standardizing healthcare service protocols in schools and supporting school meals in areas with high food insecurity are also among the recommendations.
“For example, they have highlighted a number of areas which we need to consider when coming up with WASH facilities so that they are accessed by learners with special needs.
They also pointed out about limitation of school meals programs, some schools are accessing while others are not accessing and all these issues will be looked into as we are reviewing our policy,” she said.
Save the Children International’s Director of Programs, Dr. Chakufwa Munthali, and expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Education for their collaboration and commitment to incorporating the project’s recommendations into the revised policy.
He emphasized Save the Children’s continued support for the government in addressing the identified gaps and called on other development partners to join the effort.
The SPAESHA project’s stakeholders include notable organizations such as the Ministry of Gender, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health, Save the Children International, USAID, and academic institutions.
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