Characteristics of a Healthy School and

Community Environment
A community is made up of different families living
together in a particular area. These families from
your neighborhood. Each family contributes to the
betterment of the community.
 A healthy community enables its
members to live and to maintain a quality
life. It provides healthcare services that
focus on prevention and treatment of
diseases; develops roads and playgrounds;
build school; and gives other services to
meet the needs of the people in the
community.
A healthy community also allows members to share their time,
talents and resources with one another. These people participate in
activities for the improvement of the environment. They also help
maintain the peace and order in the neighborhood and improve the
social condition of the community.
Community members get involved in activities for:
1. Cleanliness, beautification, and environment conservation

Community members help each other

in promoting healthy, clean, and
attractive surroundings. They observe
cleanliness at home and in the
community.
A community member like you can help
maintain cleanliness and orderliness. You can
do this by keeping the yards, the sidewalks,
and other areas near your house clean and
orderly by sweeping and throwing garbage
into the right bin. You should also give your
pets a bath regularly and disinfect the place
where they usually stay.
Community members should as
well devise a sanitary means of
disposing garbage through waste
segregation and installing efficient
sewage system at home. Moreover,
they should grow and cultivate
plants.
2. Health and sanitation
Health centers, clean water and
drainage, and adequate sewerage
system are some facilities needed in
promoting and protecting the health
of people in community.
As a community member you can
help control or eliminate disease-
causing pests like rats, mosquitoes,
flies, and cockroaches. Join cleanup
drives of streets, canals and streams
in your community.
Healthy School Environment
The physical school environment encompasses the school
building and all its contents including physical structures,
infrastructure, furniture…
Healthy School Environment
and the use and presence of chemicals and biological agents; the site on
which a school is located; and the surrounding environment including the air,
water, and materials with which children may come into contact, as well as
nearby land uses, roadways and other hazards.
WHO defines a health-promoting school as
―one that constantly strengthens its
capacity as a healthy setting for living,
learning and working.
The American Academy of Pediatrics defines a healthful school environment
as 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.
Provision of safe and sufficient water,
sanitation, and shelter from the elements
are basic necessities for a healthy
physical learning environment.
Equally important is the protection from
biological, physical, and chemical risks that can
threaten children’s health. Infectious diseases
carried by water, and physical hazards associated
with poor construction and maintenance
practices are examples of risks children and
school personnel face at schools throughout the
world.