Pairing children with health services: The changing role of school health services in the twenty-first century

Abstract

We define school health services as health services provided to enrolled students by healthcare professional(s) and/or allied professional(s), irrespective of the site of service provision; the services should be mandated by a formal arrangement between the educational institution and the provider healthcare organization. This chapter provides an overview of the history of school health services (SHS) and how their role evolves in attempts to better respond to changing health and development priorities of adolescents. Based on the global review of SHS, this chapter describes various organizational models and key characteristics. The advantages of SHS to achieve universal health coverage with preventive interventions are discussed, as well as organizational challenges that limit the ability of SHS to perform to their best potential. The chapter concludes with recommendations for research, policy, and practice.