Status of school health programs in Asia: National policy and implementation.

Background: The WHO's Health Promoting Schools (HPS) framework is based on an understanding of the reciprocal relationship between health and education, and the need to take a holistic approach to health promotion in schools. We aim to clarify the degree to which the HPS framework is reflected in the national policies of eight target countries and the issues surrounding its successful implementation.

Methods: Date were collected through two expert workshops with participants from eight Asian countries: Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea, Lao PDR, Nepal, the Philippines, and Thailand.

School health promotion in South-East Asia by Japan and partners.

School health promotion in South-East Asia has developed rapidly in recent years, and Japan has been one of the significant contributors to the reinforcement of school health promotion in the region. Starting from the Hashimoto Initiative on global parasite control, Japan advocated for international partnerships with several agencies for the development of school health programs in South-East Asia. Through a strengthened collaboration with international organizations, countries such as the Lao PDR, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Thailand have created and implemented school health programs on nutrition, sanitation, and deworming, among others.