Kerala's Aksharam Arogyam: Empowering Students as Health Ambassadors

• Kerala launches 'Aksharam Arogyam' program to teach students basic first aid, menstrual hygiene, and healthy habits.
• The initiative, a collaboration between the state health and general education departments, aims for overall physical and mental well-being of children.
• Students from classes 1 to 12 in all government and aided schools will receive regular health check-ups and health cards, later digitized.
• Schools will become health hubs with trained teacher-mentors, health assemblies, and health corners, delivering age-appropriate education.
• The program strengthens existing initiatives like iron supplementation and immunization, and trains students/teachers in basic first aid.