GES/SHEP (Ghana Education Service/ School Health Education Programme Unit)

The SHEP Unit is one of the Units under the Ghana Education Service responsible for Health Promotion in schools up-to Pre-tertiary level.
The School Health Education Programme (SHEP) was thus established in 1992 as follow-up actions on Ghana's commitment to the Jomtien World Declaration on Education for All and her ratification of the United Nations Convention of the Rights for the Child. It was established as a joint mandate to the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Ministry of Health (MoH). The mission of the two ministries was to facilitate the provision of health education to the door steps of school children for early detection of disability and also to inculcate into them health promotion habits, attitudes and values as means of improving child survival, school attendance, retention and achievements. The MoE was given the lead role while the MoH provided technical support.

Programme objectives:
- Conduct training to build capacity of teachers, school children and community members for the
effective implementation of school health programmes;
- Develop appropriate Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials;
- Inculcate into school children health-promoting habits and values of good hygiene and sanitation
practices including hand washing with soap;
- Bring health education and related health services to the doorsteps of school children for early
detection of defects and disability for prompt referral and management;
- Assist in the prevention and management of communicable and non communicable diseases;
- Promote good environmental sanitation and hygiene practices in schools, which are gender
friendly;
- Promote healthy lifestyles including healthy diet, avoiding alcohol and tobacco consumption,
illicit drugs, physical inactivity and premarital sex.

The structure of SHEP
National - National Coordinator with Programme Officers
Regional - Regional SHEP Coordinator
District - District SHEP Coordinator
School Level - School-based Health Coordinator

Vision of SHEP
SHEP is envisioned to create well informed health conscious school populations who have full potentials to act as change agents in their homes and communities and to contribute effectively and efficiently to national development

Mission of SHEP Unit
Is to facilitate the effective mobilization and deployment of avaiable human, material and financial resources to equip school children with basic life skills for healthy living through skills-based health education, promoting good health and preventing diseases among the school population.

Collaborating Institutions
- Ministry of Education;
- Ministry of Health/ The Ghana Health Service;
- Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing (Water Directorate, CWSA)
- Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD)/EHSD;
- Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs;
- Ministry of Food and Agriculture
- Department of Social Welfare;
- NGOs and WVI, Plan Ghana, Care International, Water Aid and PPAG

Intervention Area for SHEP Delivery
- Skills-based Health Education
- Disease prevention and control
- Food Safety and Nutrition Education
- Safe and Healthy School Environment

Programme Delivery Approach
- Advocacy
- Decentralised Implementation
- Focusing Resources on Effective School Health (FRESH) Approach to school health delivery
- Service delivery through partners
- Community Participation
- Materials development
- Gender and Equity
- Emergency response initiatives.