Better learning in school and better educational outcomes.
Good health is essential for learning and cognitive ability.
Ensuring good health when children are of school age can boost attendance and educational achievement. School children are often thought of as naturally healthy, but studies have shown that in Africa, more than half of the schoolchildren are stunted in height and are anaemic, and that in many areas most schoolchildren are infected with worms, bilharzia and malaria parasites. These highly prevalent conditions are all associated with impaired cognitive ability. New opportunities, unfulfilled needs. Global and national initiatives to achieve universal access to basic education mean that more children now have the opportunity to go to school.