Developing Health-Promoting Schools:
An Initiative in Government Schools
of Indore City, India
Alsa Bakhtawar
1 Key Messages
1. Young people constitute one of the precious resources of India. In a phase characterized by growth and development, youth are vulnerable to influence by factors
that affect their health and safety. Addressing young people in their schools is an
efficient way to reach them en masse.
2. Training of teachers as health ambassadors, promoting healthy school environments and facilitating multisectoral collaboration are key activities that
can develop Health-Promoting Schools (HPS). These three activities will give
opportunities to students to learn, adopt and practise hygiene and healthy
lifestyles.
3. HPS have been successful in bringing multiple sectors together for their implementation which can be seen as a starting point for further collaborations in
Indore whose goal is a “healthy, liveable Smart City for all”.
2 Background
According to the 2011 Census, nearly 31% of India’s population lives in urban
areas (Government of India, n.d.). Looking at the trends of population growth, it
is expected that urban areas will house 40% of India’s population and will also
contribute to 75% of India’s GDP by 2030 (Sankhe et al. 2010). Preparing and
adapting to this trend will require adequate development of the city’s physical, social
and economic infrastructure, and the development of Smart Cities model is a step in
that direction. The Smart Cities Mission was introduced by the Government of India
A. Bakhtawar (B)
Building Healthy Cities (BHC), New Delhi, India
e-mail: alsa_bakhtawar@in.jsi.com
© Zhejiang University Press 2021
F. W. Gatzweiler, Urban Health and Wellbeing Programme,
Urban Health and Wellbeing,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6036-5_5
23
An Initiative in Government Schools
of Indore City, India
Alsa Bakhtawar
1 Key Messages
1. Young people constitute one of the precious resources of India. In a phase characterized by growth and development, youth are vulnerable to influence by factors
that affect their health and safety. Addressing young people in their schools is an
efficient way to reach them en masse.
2. Training of teachers as health ambassadors, promoting healthy school environments and facilitating multisectoral collaboration are key activities that
can develop Health-Promoting Schools (HPS). These three activities will give
opportunities to students to learn, adopt and practise hygiene and healthy
lifestyles.
3. HPS have been successful in bringing multiple sectors together for their implementation which can be seen as a starting point for further collaborations in
Indore whose goal is a “healthy, liveable Smart City for all”.
2 Background
According to the 2011 Census, nearly 31% of India’s population lives in urban
areas (Government of India, n.d.). Looking at the trends of population growth, it
is expected that urban areas will house 40% of India’s population and will also
contribute to 75% of India’s GDP by 2030 (Sankhe et al. 2010). Preparing and
adapting to this trend will require adequate development of the city’s physical, social
and economic infrastructure, and the development of Smart Cities model is a step in
that direction. The Smart Cities Mission was introduced by the Government of India
A. Bakhtawar (B)
Building Healthy Cities (BHC), New Delhi, India
e-mail: alsa_bakhtawar@in.jsi.com
© Zhejiang University Press 2021
F. W. Gatzweiler, Urban Health and Wellbeing Programme,
Urban Health and Wellbeing,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6036-5_5
23