2022 Seed Grant Award Problem Statements 

Good Health and Wellbeing

Problem #10:  Optimizing Existing Resources with the Use of Digital Platforms to Strengthen School Health Screening Program

Country/Region of execution: India
Collaborating Organization: World Health Partners
World Health Partners is an Indian non-profit society focused on delivering health and reproductive health services within walking distance to underserved communities. Our programs create an entire ecosystem of healthcare, and the solution for each constituent is built around the human aspects of the user by factoring in the medical, social, educational, religious, and financial aspects of their environment. WHP’s model has been recognized with awards from the Skoll Foundation, the (World Economic Forum’s) Schwab Foundation, Ashoka Foundation, and Asian Award for Social Entrepreneurship. Its work is supported by USAID, Skoll Foundation, Government of India, Government of Bihar, Punjab, and Odisha.
Problem Statement Description:  India is home to 473 million children (0–18 years), 39% of the total population (Census 2011); of which 260 million children in the age group of 6-18 years are attending schools. But when it comes to their health, the situation is alarming and pathetic. About 54% of girls and 29% boys in the age group of 15-19 years are anemic, 4.2% girls and 4.8% boys are obese, while 42% girls and 44% boys are thin.  Another study found children in the age group 2-17 years are suffering from health problems ranging from abnormal BMI (obesity/ underweight) and vision (Myopia/Hyperopia), dental, ear, nose, and throat (ENT), and hygiene-related issues. 25.5% have eye sight-related problems, and potentially 1 in every 2 children may have needed glasses. [1] 47.2% have ear problems, 34% suffer from hearing loss [2],30.4% have abnormal BMI. Hearing loss in early childhood can affect speech and language development, social and behavioral status, cognition, and academic achievements of the child. World over, it has been recognized that a health check-up in a school is very effective in catching these conditions well in time so that they can be halted and possibly reversed or corrected. Thus, screening in schools can bring both physical and mental wellness issues and, if intervened, can make the lives of the children far better. In fact, the Government of India mandates a health screening in every school. However, the implementation is far less than desired. Also, the pandemic and lockdowns over the last 2 years have affected most school-based health programs as WHP has been providing digitally-enabled healthcare programs/services to urban and rural communities. This is an opportune time to scale those platforms into a completely off-site /on-site model by engaging the schools, students, and parents through digital modes of primary healthcare screening.