Improving health and nutrition
in schools
The Sightsavers-supported School Health Integrated Programming project, known as SHIP, screens schoolchildren for health problems and provides spectacles and treatment where needed.
You can help a child to learn and succeed at school
DONATEChildren in poorer countries miss many days of school every year because of common health issues such as worm infections, short-sightedness or poor nutrition.
Yet these problems can be easily diagnosed and treated if children have access to reliable health services.
The School Health Integrated Programming (SHIP) project began with a pilot in 2016, funded by the World Bank, to screen schoolchildren in Cambodia, Ethiopia, Ghana and Senegal for vision and health problems such as refractive error or worm infections. The pilot aimed to raise awareness, provide treatment and encourage governments to improve health and nutrition in schools: the goal was to reduce absenteeism and drop-out rates, and boost children’s educational prospects.
As part of SHIP, teachers are taught about major eye conditions affecting their region, and are trained to examine their students and record their findings. Children with vision problems are then referred to a team of mobile optometric technicians, who can travel to the school and provide free spectacles.
Any children found to be suffering from or at risk of worm infections are treated with deworming medication. The teachers are also trained to educate their students about eye health and personal hygiene, with the children encouraged to share what they learn with their families.
What is refractive error?
Refractive errors are eye disorders caused by irregularity in the shape of the eye. This makes it difficult for the eyes to focus images clearly, and vision can become blurred and impaired.
About refractive errorThe SHIP project in Liberia
The SHIP programme launched in Liberia in 2018 in partnership with the ministry of health and the ministry of education, with funding from Dubai Cares.
Initially scheduled to run for three years, it will now continue until 2025, and has been expanded to cover an additional county.
So far, the project has screened 117,997 children across 1,000 schools and trained four optometric technicians to diagnose the children identified by trained teachers through the initial school screening.
The Liberian government is also working on integrating SHIP practices into all schools so it can continue providing long-term, sustainable care after the project comes to an end.
Want to learn more about our work?
Sightsavers and educationMore about the SHIP project
Stories from the SHIP eye health project in Pakistan
Sightsavers’ eye health screening project in Pakistan is helping children see and learn all over the country. We listen to stories of some of the children we have helped.
It’s all about the numbers: how economics is helping us to save sight in schools
By using economics, we can make sure our school eye screening programmes are affordable and efficient, ensuring thousands of children in poorer countries can get the eye care they need.
How an innovative school programme is improving health in Liberia
Sightsavers' integrated school health programme aims to improve the lives of more than 76,000 children through deworming and eye screening.
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