If the health ministry has its way, school children would soon have an additional subject ?health? in their curriculum.
The ministry aims at introducing the subject that, besides wholesome food, would include healthy lifestyle and yoga beginning class V.
Officials are talking to the HRD ministry to introduce the same in schools across the country.
The initiative to impart health education that also consists of yoga among the students is aimed at imbibing healthy habits at tender age.
The officials are also talking to various private schools to help implement the curriculum in every state, an official in the health ministry told FE.
When asked about the timeframe as to by when the subject would be introduced in the study material, the official said since it was a huge project dealing with more than one ministry and various private players, it and could take some time to take off.
?The country is projected to be the economic driver of the world in the coming decades, which is directly proportional to the skilled population the country has. Focus on student health has to a priority area if the country has to do well,? the official said.
Besides the project the ministry also plans to screen students above class V every year for various problems such as ear and eye disorders, dental and cardio vascular health, vitamin and iron deficiencies.
They would also be screened for lifestyle problems such as congenital heart disease, obesity and diabetes and would be issued health cards that would contain their health status for such problems.
?Screening on yearly basis would help identify diseases at early stages and students would then be referred to medical facilities for corrective measures. The initiative would initially be launched in few states and would slowly be replicated in all states across the country,?health minister Anbumani Ramadoss said recently.