The territorial impacts of COVID-19, persistent climate shocks, and sporadic conflicts in the SADC region have intensified vulnerabilities and created a significant reversal of decades of progress in education, health and nutrition. This crisis necessitates urgent action, as our aspirations for inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all are being pushed out of reach. Sub-Saharan Africa represents over 98 million school-age children and youths who are out of school. In the SADC region specifically, a considerable number of school-age children and youths who should be in school cannot attend school due to a myriad of factors. Despite efforts to improve access to education, many children, especially those living with disabilities and those from vulnerable households, marginalized communities, and hard-to-reach groups, continue to be faced with multiple obstacles that prevent them from attending school and learning. Even among those children enrolled in schools, preventable diseases and malnutrition remain significant impediments to learning. This reality calls for concrete actions to address barriers to education and learning among vulnerable children.
School Health and Nutrition (SHN) programmes represent innovative solutions and valuable opportunities to reach school-age children with essential SHN services. These initiatives extend beyond the promotion of health and well-being, encompassing disease prevention and addressing health and nutrition-related issues that may adversely affect school attendance and educational outcomes. Widely recognized as one of the most cost-effective strategies, SHN programmes not only draw children into schools and keep them there to learn but also incentivize parents to send their children (especially girls) to school, thereby reducing the likelihood of early child marriages and unintended teenage pregnancies while promoting gender equality in education. SHN programmes also contribute to achieving equitable and inclusive quality education for all. Beyond education, health, and nutrition benefits, SHN programmes such as school meal programmes generate additional gains across sectors such as social protection, agriculture, local economic development, and food systems. Moreover, these programmes create a ripple effect of positive change in the broader community, contributing to the overall goal of inclusive socioeconomic growth and sustainable development.
