STUDENTS from 105 schools in Tarlac province benefited from the 5th wave of the Provincial Government’s Essential Health Care Program [EHCP] during the launching and orientation held at the Bulwagan ng mga Gobernador recently.
A total of 22,484 kinder to grade 3 public school students benefited from the program of the provincial government that aims to promote hand washing, tooth brushing and deworming. Tarlac Gov. Susan Yap said that student’s staying power and performance in school is their state of health and nutrition.
“One factor which has a very direct bearing on children’s staying power and performance in school is their state of health and nutrition. Toothaches and diarrhea are among the common ailments that cause children to miss school,” the governor said.
The EHP is the Department of Education’s [DepEd] response to advocate and mobilize resources for improving the health and well-being of pre-school and elementary-aged children and help improve their performance in school. Through low-cost preventive interventions, the DepEd aims to cut by half the incidence of infectious diseases among pre-school and elementary students and reduce absenteeism.
Included in the distributed health kits are toothbrushes, toothpastes and liquid hand soaps.
Present during the distribution were Board Member Harmes Sembrano, DepEd dentists, nurses, school principal and teachers and health care leaders.