Germany, SEAMEO further improve health, education in SEA

BANGKOK, May 29 (TNA) -The German government and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) have joined hands to promote and implement a regional programme, “Fit For School”, aimed to further improve health and education of students in Southeast Asia from the pre-school level. The "Fit for School” initiative has been expanded from a five-year dental healthcare programme implemented in the Philippines, which has resulted in the Philippine students' better academic performance and full participation in all activities designed in school systems. Under the "Fit for School” initiative, simple hygienic measures for everyday school life are introduced, such as washing hands with soap and brushing teeth with toothpastes containing fluoride, while students also receive medication against parasite worms twice a year. David Oberhuber, Thailand's Director of Germany-based Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), or the German Society for International Cooperation, told journalists at the exchange of notes event, held at the German Embassy in Bangkok on Wednesday, that the initiative has successfully been implemented in 40 provinces across the Philippines and has been expanding to Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam. According to GIZ Thailand's director, the German government will continue providing financial support to the initiative, a total of 5.7 million euro during 2013-2018, and GIZ and SEAMEO in the Philippines will then closely coordinate to make sure that health campaigns and other basic necessities reach targeted children across the region. Training programmes will also be provided to relevant school personnel in the region to enable them to campaign and implement measures to improve their students' health. (TNA)