Education plays a key role in health awareness which is important for development. Students who have an understanding of health conditions and hygiene contribute more to the improvement of living conditions. Schools can teach students how to avoid or fight disease.
Part 1 – Learning With HIV, China
A school in Henan Province in China provides a good example. Here it is estimated that up to a million people are infected with HIV. But this is a school with a difference. The pupils at this boarding school are HIV positive. It was founded in 2006 by the Hong Kong Alliance Against Aids. These children have either been orphaned or rejected by their parents. They have nowhere else to go.
Part 2 – Pupils and Puppets, Ethiopia
In Ethiopia health education is a big challenge. It is estimated that more than half of the children there never go to school. But Tsegay the puppet has managed to reach those children, to teach them the basic principles of health and hygiene. Tsegay Loves Learning is a TV show created by a talented young teacher. It is certainly a creative way to provide the children with health education.
Part 3 – Learning in Hospital, The Netherlands
In Amsterdam long-term sick children now have continuity in education during their stay in hospital. In the main hospital in Amsterdam, 16 year-old Kristina is waiting for a kidney donor which means undergoing dialysis four times a week. But a team of teachers is helping her keep up with her studies.