WHO Europe 2020 Health Plan Includes Schools, Disadvantaged Focus

The following is an excerpt from the WHO Europe 2020 Health Policy and Strategic Plan (page 43) 

187. A strategic focus on healthy living for younger people is particularly valuable. Numerous factors influence children’s social and emotional well-being, from their individual make-up and
family background to the community within which they live and society at large. As a result, a broader multiagency strategy is required, to which people themselves can contribute. A broad
range of stakeholders can be mobilized to support programmes that promote health, including generational activities. For young people, these can include policies to improve the social and
economic status of children living in disadvantaged circumstances (90,91,94,105–108); whole school approaches to school-based activities to develop and protect children’s social and
emotional well-being, including school-based health literacy programmes; peer-to-peer education; and the development of youth organizations. Integrating work on mental and sexual
health into these programmes and activities is particularly important.