School health policies and their implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines.

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the health and education of learners globally. However, there is a lack of information on enablers and barriers to the implementation of comprehensive school health policies during the pandemic.

Methods: This study utilized a case study design, and was conducted in the Division of City Schools of Navotas. A desk review of relevant school health policies released at the national level by the Department of Education and Department of Health during the pandemic was performed. The collected policies were classified if they were related to the Preparedness/Prevention Phase, Early Phase Response, and Chronic Phase Response. Focus group discussions and key a informant interview were conducted to determine the enablers and barriers in implementing school health programs during the pandemic. The identified themes were created deductively by using categories from Whitman's Wheel of Factors influencing Implementation of Policy and Practice.

Results: Policies under the Preparedness/Prevention Phase focused on providing a comprehensive healthy school environment for learners, including Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools. Early Phase Response policies included school closures and public health guidelines to prevent further spread of disease. The policies under the Chronic Phase/Response notably included guidelines for implementation of vaccination days and reopening of classes. Most of the factors identified were categorized under Whitman's wheel of factors.

Conclusions: Despite COVID-19 restrictions, health policy implementation continued because of the collaborations, innovations, and leadership of various stakeholders. The vaccination of the public, including the pediatric population was implemented through the collaboration of various agencies. WASH in Schools was evident in policies regarding the guidelines on prevention of the spread of disease. The data provided in this study will serve as a guide to address the barriers and further strengthen the implementation of these policies.