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Section: Low Resource Countries

Low Resource Contexts (Countries & Communities) (LRCs) - Introduction

This page introduces the topics covered in this sub-section of wiki-summaries on school-based and school-linked policies, programs, services and practices in Low Resource Countries.

Click on any of the items listed in the navigation bar on the right hand side of this page to access the various summaries. The wiki-summaries will eventually include Glossary Terms (1-3 paragraphs), Encyclopedia Entries (Two pages), Handbook Sections (Book Chapters) and Bibliographies/Toolboxes (Extensive lists updated periodically) as well as Additional Resources.   

We welcome your comments and suggestions which you can post on the pages linked to this introduction or send them directly to [email protected]

Key Messages/Lessons Learned:

Here are some of the key messages or things that we have learned thus far in these discussions:

​Here are some current or important highlights from this International Discussion Group. These are extracted from the background/discussion paper and the draft consensus statement developed by the FRESH Partners. 

​The consensus statement notes several lessons learned and insights gained from practice-based discussions in webinars. The series of webinars on low resource countries organized by FRESH Partners has led to several
practical and strategic insights about school health & nutrition programs in low resource countries. The richness of this accumulated knowledge is well worth the time in viewing the recordings and referring to the resources. These sessions are ongoing. 

• Positive Results Emerging from Research and Reports: ​There are also many reports, research studies and trends indicating that progress has been made in promoting educational success, health and development in low resource countries. (See page 4 of the statement) 
  - The educational, health and other benefits from school health and nutrition programs in LRC’s have been well-documented and systematic reviews have confirmed the effectiveness of multi-component approaches in LRC contexts
  - A comprehensive, yet practical and realistic set of core components and indicators that LRC’s can build and maintain have been brought together in a national self-assessment tool  that has been field-tested in over 35 countries. Thematic or issue-based indicators have also been identified and used. For example, indicators on WASH in schools are now part of the SDG indictors (SDG 4 and 6) and will be integrated in the monitoring systems of the education sector in many countries 
  - Between 2000 and 2015, the presence and scope of school health and nutrition policies supporting multi-component approaches such as School Health & Nutrition grew substantially in the Education Service Plans (ESP) and surveys provided to UNESCO and the World Bank 
  - ​ The policy  and document databases maintained by UNESCO, WHO and other agencies contain many examples of school-based and school-linked multi-component approaches, strategies and policies for LRC’s. Enhanced support to curate these resources and supplement them with more examples and with the latest research reviews and studies should be considered.

The experience of practitioners and officials working in low resource countries, as well as the growing
body of research, has identified several guiding principles should underpin the implementation and
maintenance of approaches, initiatives and programs: (See page 4 of the background/discussion paper) 

1. Country ownership and leadership: In many countries, programmes are still implemented as vertical projects, sponsored mainly by external partners. Efforts should be made to enhance country ownership and leadership of national programmes. This will require the political commitment and financial support of governments, transitional funding from donors, strengthened management and capacities within the national education and other sectors as well as community engagement and support from the private sector. Clear roles and responsibilities for each level of governance and links with other ministries/ departments should be defined so that implementation can scalable and sustainable.
2. Broad-based national and international coordination and collaboration: Effective coordination mechanisms at the global, regional and national levels are crucial to the success of such collaboration. 
3. Empowerment of people and communities:  LRC countries and communities should therefore be empowered, guided and involved in activities to promote their own health, education, social and economic development as well as to prevent or control specific problems. Activities, which are simple and enjoyable supported by lean management processes and user-friendly facilities help to ensure that the program is implemented at scale and can be sustained. If interventions are too complex or too costly, they will not be sustained long-term without ongoing external funding and human resources.
4. Evidence-based and experience-tested approaches, programs and incremental, implementation/ sustainability planning:  These plans should consider cost-effectiveness, affordability, public health & community development principles and cultural considerations. Encouraging schools and other agencies to begin with small improvements that can be achieved using resources already available can start the incremental process. 
5. Equity and gender-based interventions: Access to health services is more difficult for girls and women in low resource countries, especially in rural areas where problems are often highly often highly endemic. Approaches, programs and interventions should intentionally address or advance gender issues and other inequities.

For updates and reader comments on this section, go to our Mini-Blog on Low Resource Countries & Communities

​Topics in this Section
The topics for the wiki-summaries planned, in development or completed are listed below. Click on the active web links to access our work done so far. 
- Low Resource Countries & Communities- Introduction
- Multi-Component Approaches (MCAs) in LRCs

• School Health & Nutrition
• The Essential Package of Interventions

- Multi-Intervention Programs (MIP) in LRCs

• Equitable Access to Education
  - Out of School Strategies
  - Learning Disabilities
  - Girls Education
  - Displaced/Stateless Students
  - Financial Incentives to Attend School
• WASH Programs (Overview)
  - Clean Water
  - Sanitation
  - Handwashing & Hygiene
  - Feminine Hygiene
  - Oral/Dental Health
• School Food & Nutrition
  - School Meals/School Feeding
  - Home Grown School Feeding
  - Nutrition Supplements
  - Healthy Diet/Eating
• Preventing Infectious Diseases
  - Malaria
  - Tuberculosis
  - Dengue Fever
• Preventing Non-Communicable Diseases (Overview)
  -  Healthy Eating (Food Insecurity & Overweitght/Obesity)
  - Tobacco & Alcohol Use
  - Physical Activity
• Psycho-social Support
  - Mental Health
  - Social & Emotional Learning
• Growth & Development
  - Stunting
  - Vision
  - Hearing

​- Cross-Cutting Themes in LRCs

• Youth Engagement in LRCs
• Parent Participation in LRCs
• School-Linked Community Development in LRCs

​- Implementing, Maintaining, Scaling Up & Sustaining (IMSS)  Programs in LRCs

• Capacity & Capacity-Building in LRCs
• Integrating Within Education Systems in LRCs
• Systems Change/Science & Organizational Development in LRCs