SHEPAN

About

Advancing School Health Education

About SHEPAN

The Nigerian School Health Association (NSHA) was inaugurated on November 20, 1975, and later named as School Health Educators and Professionals Association In Nigeria (SHEPAN) as a voluntary professional association whose membership is open to professionals and individuals involved in matters affecting the health of pupils/students and personnel of primary schools through tertiary institutions in Nigeria. In other words, its membership includes teachers at all levels, health educators, environmental engineers, journalists, medical and para-medical personnel as well as relevant government agencies.

Collaboration

SHEPAN started first as a collaboration between the old Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University College of Medicine and the Health Education Unit of  then Department of Physical and Health Education, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan to meet the health education needs of in-school and out of school adolescent and the adults need of Health Education .Credit must be given to the University of Ibadan especially the health education lecturers in its college of medicine and faculty of education for doing the country proud in manpower development and the nurturing of the association that all may be proud  of.

Contributors to SHEPAN Development

The following academicians across many Nigerian universities were the officers or executive members who over the years contributed immensely to the growth and development, Late Prof. Z.A. Ademuwagun, Late Prof. J.A. Ajala, Late Prof. J.A. Fawole, Prof. S.D. Nwajei, Prof. O.A. Moronkola. Prof. O.O. Kalesanwo, Prof. Ujiro Igbudu as Presidents of the association from both federal and states universities. Other executive  members  of the association at one time or the others include; Prof. C.O. Udoh, Mrs. G.O. Agusiegbe, Prof. Mrs. O.B. Boroffice, Prof. B.A. Fajewonyomi, Prof. B.Y. Oladimeyi. Antnhonia Ejifugha, Prof. B.O. Ogundele, Dr. S.B. Adeyemi, Mrs. F.A. Tolushe, Mr. G.B. Onuoha.

Objectives of the Association;

  1. To serve as a forum for constantly reviewing the health needs and problems of the Nigerian learners and staff at various levels of education and for helping formal authorities in the execution of meaningful measures aimed at solving the identified health problems within the school and communities where the school and communities where schools are situated.
  2. To act as a catalyst by working for effective collaborative, co-operative, and coordinative efforts of the homes, schools, communities and governments in matters affecting the protection, promotion and rehabilitation of the health conditions of pupils/students from early childhood schools through University level and their communities.
  3. To ensure that the governments promote and encourage positive health knowledge, attitudes and practices among learners and school personnel by ensuring that:
  4. Health education is made an integral part of education programmes in all educational institutions through the development of functional school health programmes;
  5. Healthful living environment and basic health services are provided and maintained at all levels of education;
  6. The positive traditional health responsibilities of teachers in Nigeria are revived and revitalized in all educational institutions;
  7. Trained health education teachers are employed in schools. Prospective health education teachers, as well as other teachers and school administrators, are well prepared in their health education roles in both the school and community;
  8. Learners know their responsibilities and carry them out at home, school, and community;
  9. School health education programmes are skill-based, really reflect the exact health needs and the problems of learners and their communities, so that health education and its evaluation become more purposeful, pragmatic, and dynamic;
  10. Ways and means of fostering the involvement of health, education, agriculture, social welfare and other authorities in bringing about improved health conditions for all school personnel and pupils are explored;
  11. Homes, schools and communities actively participate in all measures aimed at improving the health of learners and staff and that of the general community through cooperating with the school health officials, governmental and non- governmental agencies and with one another in identifying school community members and that of the host communities health problems and planning for concerted solution;
  12. Schools, colleges and universities actively participate in conducting research and evaluation programmes related to school and community health problems in Nigeria.
  13. Regular rotational seminars, workshops, conferences and in-service training programmes on aspects of school health are encouraged, sponsored and supported.
  14. To produce publications (a) Nigerian School Health Journal (NSHJ) and (b) The NSHA Newsletter (c) Conference Proceedings (d) NSHA Directory of members.
  15. To cooperate with International, National and Local and Non-Governmental Organisations, philanthropists, donor agencies etc in matters relating to Health, Education of in school and out of school children, youths and the host communities.

SHEPAN Accomplishments

To concretize the objectives stated above, the Association organizes an annual conference/workshops   at which some important social health issues are examined by members as well as other participants. For example, the first national convention, which was organized in the form of a workshop, was held at the University of Ibadan from April 26-29, 1977. Its theme was: Healthful School Environment. Other annual conferences had been held in the University of Ibadan, the University of Benin, and Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Bayero University, Kano, National Institute For Sports, Surulere Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Clifford University, Owerrita, Abia State among others.Yearly, the Nigerian School Health Journal  is published annually and it has reached volume 36 with the 2024 edition.