Publication

Ready to learn and thrive: School health and nutrition around the world

Drawing on existing literature, the most up-to-date data, and case studies from around the world, this report provides the first overview of the extent to which countries are supporting their children and adolescents through school health and nutrition policies and programmes. It encourages efforts to improve, scale up, sustain and monitor the progress of these programmes to address learners’ needs holistically, so that all children and adolescents can learn and thrive.
Ready to learn and thrive: school health and nutrition around the world
UNESCO
United Nations Children's Fund
World Food Programme
2023
UNESCO
0000384421

Unlocking the potential of every learner through school health and nutrition

Nearly every country around the world is investing in their children and adolescents through school health and nutrition programmes. Governments recognise that these programmes are a smart investment: they improve students’ health, nutrition and learning outcomes, and deliver big development gains to their communities and countries.

This ground-breaking report brings together, for the first time, multiple data sources to provide a global overview of school health and nutrition policies and programmes, showing that these are a practical and affordable way to support learners’ well-being and development. For example, more than 100 countries have school vaccination programmes, one in two primary schoolchildren receives school meals, and almost every country includes education for health and well-being in its curriculum.

Yet, many children are missing out, especially in the poorest countries. As the world is facing a global food crisis and struggling with the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, this report urges governments and development partners to put learners’ health and well-being at the core of the education agenda and to improve the quality and reach of these programmes, so that all children and adolescents can learn and thrive. This requires implementing comprehensive programmes that are coordinated across sectors and sustained by increased policy and financial commitments.

Ready to learn and thrive - graph
What you need to know about the global report on school health and nutrition
School girls in Nicaragua
Lao children washing hands

What UNESCO does on health and education