SRINAGAR: Emphasising the need to integrate health education with formal schooling to strengthen human development in Jammu and Kashmir, Tarang Health Alliance and the SKUAST-K Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship Centre have joined hands to promote structured school-based health education in the region.
Speaking during a webinar organised by Tarang Health Alliance in collaboration with Fijeeha and ACTION (Alliance for Change, Transformation & Innovation), Dr Rahul Mehra, India’s National Representative for the UNESCO Chair on Global Health & Education and Executive Chairman of Tarang Health Alliance, stressed that education and health must move together to unlock long-term human potential.
“Education cannot deliver its full promise if children come to classrooms carrying the burden of poor health from early childhood,” Dr Mehra said. “Health education in schools lays the foundation for better learning outcomes, stronger resilience and more productive lives.”
Highlighting regional health challenges, Dr Mehra noted that nearly two-thirds of women aged 15–49 years in Jammu and Kashmir are anaemic, a condition that significantly impacts maternal and child health. Maternal anaemia often leads to malnutrition and stunting among children, with nearly 25–30 per cent of children under five affected. These early health disadvantages, he said, are closely linked to impaired cognitive development, poor academic performance and reduced lifetime earnings.
Referring to national programmes such as Anaemia Mukt Bharat and Mission Poshan 2.0, Dr Mehra acknowledged their importance but stressed the need for complementary health literacy initiatives. “Medical and nutrition interventions are essential, but without sustained health education and daily practice, their impact remains limited. Schools are the most effective platforms for behavioural change,” he said.
Dr Mehra also flagged emerging lifestyle-related risks, noting that over 50 per cent of children aged 5–9 years in Jammu and Kashmir show elevated triglyceride levels, indicating early susceptibility to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This, he said, underlines the urgency of introducing education on nutrition, physical activity and healthy routines from a young age.
Advocating mandatory health education in schools, Dr Mehra called for a holistic curriculum covering physical health, mental well-being and social health. He emphasised the role of teachers and parents in reinforcing healthy behaviours beyond the classroom.
Tarang Health Alliance has already implemented a comprehensive school health programme across schools in Delhi NCR, the Chandigarh tri-state region and Jaipur. Expanded to 30 schools during 2024–25, the initiative includes structured health textbooks, teacher training and parental engagement, and has shown measurable improvements in student health behaviour.
Global examples from countries such as Finland and Japan, where health education is mandatory, demonstrate improved learning outcomes and long-term national productivity through early health interventions, he added.
For Jammu and Kashmir, integrating health education into school curricula represents a strategic investment in human development, linking health, education and economic resilience, and laying the foundation for a healthier and more productive future generation.
The vote of thanks was presented by Naveed Hamid, Chief Executive Officer and Head, SKUAST-K Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship Centre, Shalimar.