Community Health

A family health programme is a government plan designed to improve the health and well-being of families in a community. It focuses on making sure everyone in a family—from babies to elderly people—has access to basic healthcare services. The programme includes activities like antenatal care for pregnant women, immunization for children, family planning services, and health education about nutrition and hygiene.

Nigeria's National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is an example of a family health programme that helps families access affordable healthcare without paying huge amounts directly. The scheme covers primary healthcare services, medicines, and hospital care for registered families.

Family health programmes work best when communities participate actively. They succeed by preventing diseases before they happen rather than just treating sick people. This makes families healthier and reduces the burden of disease in society.

School health services are programmes and activities designed to keep students healthy and promote wellness within the school environment. These services include health screening, immunizations, treatment of minor illnesses, and health education to help students maintain good physical and mental health while learning.

In Nigeria, many schools now have health clinics or sick bays where trained health workers provide first aid and basic medical care. For example, secondary schools in Lagos often conduct free medical check-ups during the school year to detect health problems early and ensure students remain fit for their studies. School health services also involve teaching students about hygiene, nutrition, disease prevention, and reproductive health through health education lessons.

These services are important because healthy students concentrate better in class, attend school regularly, and perform academically. When students have access to basic healthcare at school, it reduces absenteeism and improves overall academic performance.