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| School Health Program |
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 In an effort to improve child health in Palestine, in 1992 UPMRC began implementing a Comprehensive School Health Program in the poorest schools throughout the West Bank and Gaza. The School Health Program has several distinct features. Most importantly, it enables health professionals to reach a vulnerable sector of the community in a convenient setting. Without preventive care provided in schools, most children would only come into contact with health professionals in the context of curative or emergency services. School health services and health education improves the overall well being of the community by raising a healthier generation of children who will have fewer health problems in their adult lives. In the year 2000, the School Health Program reached 41,538 beneficiaries.
The mission of UPMRC's Comprehensive School Health Program is to protect and improve the well being of children and youth aged 4-18. It also seeks to foster links between schools, families and communities by targeting parents, teachers and students. In order to achieve these goals, UPMRC coordinates with other health providers as an active member of the National School Health Committee and three related technical committees, as well as with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health.
Activities:
 The program consists of various components such as free health screenings in schools, health education, family involvement, and improving the school health environment. The health services provided aim to identify children in need of medical or dental treatment, to measure children's growth and assist them in attaining optimal development, and to identify children with special needs. Services include: health appraisals such as physical examinations, dental examinations, screening for physical growth and development, hearing and vision, routine tests for anemia and parasites, provision of emergency service, and referral to UPMRC clinics or other health facilities and follow-up for children with health problems.
Health education is conducted in the form of a series of sessions where interactive and participatory learning techniques such as role-playing, case studies, group discussions and other methods are used. In 2000, UPMRC also conducted 93 summer camps for school-aged children and trained 140 teachers in health education topics. In addition UPMRC uses discussion sessions in order to reach parents with its child health message.
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