The School Health Programme was established in 1986 by the Ministry of Education (MoE) in order to give an additional impetus to the health issues related to school children. The programme includes medical screening of children, health education and awareness on various health issues through core curricular and co-curricular activities, and provision of health information for teachers and parents. A policy level committee, the School Health Co-ordinating Committee, steers the programme with representatives from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health (MoH), schools, Faculty of Health Sciences and NGOs. Within schools the programme is planned and managed by a trained School Health Assistant or a School Health Focal Point who is usually a specially trained teacher of the school. The activities are presently carried out mainly in Male’ schools, while the atoll programme is not working to its full potential. The current aims of the School Health Programme are as follows: 1. To promote healthy lifestyles among students, by providing them with knowledge and skills that will enable them to be responsible and take decisions to protect their own health and total well-being. 2. To improve the school and family environment and to ensure the protection of the health of the students. 3. To make students aware of their health problems and needs. 4. To enhance the role of students in contributing actively and positively to the national health programme. 5. To ensure that the School Health Programme will become an integral part of the overall education programme.