Background
The
Centre for Adolescent Health is proud to be a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Adolescent Health.
In 2019 we were engaged by WHO and United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to develop new global standards, indicators, and
implementation guidance for Health-Promoting Schools (HPS) to support their global initiative: "Making every school a health-promoting school.”
What we did
Our work aimed to strengthen the WHO's global approach to Health-Promoting Schools through a series of interconnected projects including:
- Policy Review: We analysed nearly 200 existing HPS policies and guidelines published in English, French, and Spanish across low-, middle-, and high-income countries.
- Evidence Review: We conducted a systematic review of global peer-reviewed literature published in English, French, and Spanish to identify barriers and enablers to implementing whole-school approaches to health promoting in low-, middle-, and high-income countries.
- Country Case Studies: We conducted eight in-depth case studies on HPS implementation in low- and middle-income countries: Bhutan, Indonesia, Paraguay, Philippines, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, Ukraine
- Global Standards and Implementation Guidance: We developed Global Standards, and Implementation Guidance to strengthen global implementation of HPS
- This work was informed by multiple rounds of peer review by WHO, UNESCO and other UN organisations, an internal Advisory Committee (convened by the Centre for Adolescent Health) and an international consultation process.
Building on this work, we have also led related initiatives aligned with Health-Promoting Schools to develop:
- Policy Briefs: We have developed a series of evidence-informed Briefs to support school systems in addressing key adolescent health and wellbeing issues. Aimed at education, health, and related sectors, the briefs strengthen school health systems by outlining whole-school approaches and a shared framework, including practical ideas aligned with the eight Global Standards for Health-Promoting Schools. Investing in Health-Promoting School Systems | Centre for Adolescent Health
- WHO Guideline on School Health Services: We led the development of the WHO guidance on evidence-based school health services, highlighting schools as scalable platforms to address preventable health needs and support student wellbeing, learning, and development.
Our Team
This work was undertaken by a multidisciplinary team of researchers and practitioners with expertise at the intersection of health and education including child and adolescent development, whole-school approaches, and school health services.
Lead: Prof Susan Sawyer
Postdoctoral Researcher: Dr Monika Raniti
Public Health and Health
Promotion Specialist: Ms Kristina Bennett
Education and Evaluation Specialist: Dr Ruth Aston (Centre for Program Evaluation, Melbourne Graduate
School of Education, University of Melbourne)
Consultant and Translator: Ms Cristina de Nicolás Izquierdo
Communications Specialist: Ms Molly O'Sullivan
Research Assistants: Dr Ella Cehun, Dr Anna Ross, Catherine Waters, and Monika Fridgant.
Past Volunteers and
Interns
Ms Manon Duay
Ms Catherine Waters
Administrative Support: Mrs Charmaine Sambathkumar, Mrs Laura Griffith
Technical Support: Ms Kate Francis, Ms Poh Chua, Mr Bill Reid
Internal Advisory Group
Ms Israt Jahan Baki, Dr Helen
Butler, Ms Andrea Krelle, Dr Lisa Mundy, Professor George Patton, Prof Nicola
Reavley, Dr Jenny Proimos, Dr Anitra Wierenga, Dr Sachin Shinde, and Dr Jon
Quach
Collaboration and Funding
This work was conducted in partnership with the WHO and UNESCO and was funded by the WHO.
Key publications
Sawyer, S. M., Raniti, M., & Aston, R. (2021). Making
every school a health-promoting school. The Lancet. Child & adolescent
health, S2352-4642(21)00190-5.
Raniti, M., Aston, R., Bennett, K., de Nicolás, C.,
Fridgant, M., Cehun, E., Sawyer, S.M. (2020). Global Standards
and Indicators for Health-Promoting Schools. Melbourne: Centre for
Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
Aston, R., Raniti, M., Bennett, K., de Nicolás, C., Fridgant, M., Cehun, E., Sawyer, S.M.
(2020). Global
Implementation Guidance for Health-Promoting Schools. Melbourne: Centre for
Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
Margaretha, M., Azzopardi, P. S., Fisher, J., & Sawyer,
S. M. (2023). School-based
mental health promotion: A global policy review. Frontiers in Psychiatry,
14, 1126767.
Bennett, K., Raniti, M., de Nicolás, C., Cehun, E., Waters,
C., Fridgant, M., Sawyer, S.M. (2020). A global review of policy, standards and
guideline documentation for Health Promoting Schools. Melbourne: Centre for
Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. (in press)
Raniti, M., Fridgant, M., Ross, A., de Nicolás, C., Bennett,
K., Cehun, E., Reavley, N., Sawyer, S.M. (2020). A systematic review of the
enablers and barriers of Health Promoting Schools. Melbourne: Centre for
Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. (in press)
Presentations
July 2021: Global Health Forum, Melbourne Children's Campus | Watch
June 2021: Launch by WHO and UNESCO of Global Standards and Indicators of Health-Promoting Schools and Systems | Watch
March 2020: Global consultation of HPS evidence reviews with WHO and UNESCO external advisory group
Media
Podcast
MJA Podcasts 2021 Episode 24: Health Promoting Schools, with Prof
Susan Sawyer, Dr Monika Raniti and Dr Ruth Aston | Podcast
Further information
For further information,
please contact Dr Monika Raniti.