This document outlines the essential components of a hygienic school environment as defined by Dr. Aishat Rahman. It defines key terms like school, hygiene, and health. The four main components of a hygienic school are: 1) provision of basic necessities, 2) protection from biological threats, 3) protection from physical threats, and 4) protection from chemical threats. Promoting hygiene in schools is important because schools influence children's health and development, and children are more vulnerable to environmental hazards. Maintaining hygiene through access to water, sanitation, cleanliness, and health education promotes student well-being and reduces disease burden.

1. ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF A
HYGIENIC SCHOOL ENVIROMENT
BY
Dr. Aishat Rahman
Child Health Advocacy Initiative
September 16, 2015

2. DEFINITIONS
● SCHOOL – an institution for educating children. Also, an
institution where instruction is given to children or persons
under college age.
● HYGIENE – refers to conditions and practices that
help to maintain health and prevent the spread of
diseases.

3. ● HEALTH
WHO defines health as a state of complete physical, mental
and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease
or infirmity.
● A health-promoting school is one that constantly strengthens
its capacity as a healthy setting for living, learning and
working.

4. ● Hygiene education is based on the premise that
children have a right to basic facilities such as safe
drinking water, school toilets, clean surroundings
and information on hygiene.
● If these are met, children come to school, enjoy
learning, learn better and take back to their families,
concepts and practices on sanitation and hygiene.

5. COMPONENTS
1. PROVISION OF BASIC NECESSITIES.
● Shelter, warmth, water, food, light, ventilation,
sanitary facilities, emergency medical care.
2. PROTECTION FROM BIOLOGICAL THREATS
● Molds, unsafe water/food, vector-borne diseases,
rodents, venomous animals.

6. 3. PROTECTION FROM PHYSICAL THREATS.
● Violence and crime, injuries, traffic, radiation,
extreme heat and cold.
4. PROTECTION FROM CHEMICAL THREATS.
● Air and water pollution, pesticides, hazardous
wastes, paint, cleaning agents.

7. Why is school hygiene important?
● The school enviroment has a strong influence on
children's health, after the family home, schools are
the most important place of learning for children
which stimulate change, thereby, influencing the
community at large.
● Children are more susceptible to the adverse health
effects of physical, chemical and biological hazards
than adults due to their reduced immunity and
immaturity of organs.

8. ● Children's behavioural patterns place them at risk for
exposure to enviromental threats. e.g placing fingers or
objects in their mouth, climbing, jumping.
● WHO estimates that between 25-35% of the global burden
of disease can be attributed to enviromental risk factors.
● About 40% of the total burden of disease due to
enviromental risks, falls on children under age 5.

9. ●
Effects of disease on children
The physical school enviroment is the primary determinant of
children's health, many childhood illnesses and deaths are
greatly influenced by the enviroment.
Contaminated water and food can cause diarrhoea, cholera
leading to dehydration and death if poorly treated.
Air pollution can worsen respiratory diseases such as asthma,
upper and lower respiratory tract infections.
Vectors like mosquitoes cause malaria which is one of the
causes of childhood mortality in Africa.

10. Ways to promote a hygienic school
enviroment.
● Reduce risk of diseases such as malaria by improving
drainage to eliminate puddles where mosquitoes and other
vectors breed.
● When drinking water from a shared source, a laddle should
be used tofill cups and bowls to prevent dipping unwashed
hands into the water source.
● Teach young children basic rules of handwashing before
eating, before and after going to the toilet, after playing
● Planting shade trees around the school grounds to reduce the
risk of over exposure to the sun;s ultraviolet rays.

11. ● Establish safety rules in handling and preparing food.
● Improve ventilation to enhance indoor air quality thereby
reducing asthma attacks.
● Schedule outdoor activities during periods of the day when
air pollution and sun exposure are lowest, to reduce
exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
● Foster competition among children to promote cleanliness
● Reduce pesticide exposure and poisoning by eliminating the
use of pesticides.

12. ● Use of disinfectants in cleaning floors and toilets.
● Proper disposal of waste to reduce contamination and
infection.
● Ensure students wear clean uniforms.
● Create a health committee to ensure that classroom facilities
and grounds are safe.

13. Conclusion
● A healthy school enviroment is one that protects students
and staff against immediate injury or disease and promotes
prevention activities and attitudes against known risk factors
that might lead to future disease or disability.
● “Children of today are the leaders of tomorrow, they deserve
to inherit a safer and healthier world.”

14. References
● World Health Organization Information Series on
School Health.
● A Manual on Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools by
Unicef.
● Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in schools (WASH) -
Unicef
● WELL Resource centre network for Water,
Sanitation and Enviromental Health.