THE DEPARTMENT of Education, in partnership with the Department of Health and the World Health Organization, recently launched an online training for the Foundational Course on Adolescent Health.

With technical assistance from the Society of Adolescent Medicine, Inc., Plan International Philippines and the United States Agency for International Development, the training aims to capacitate DepEd teaching and non-teaching personnel in adolescent development and services for adolescent learners.

“DepEd health personnel, our teachers and non-teaching personnel who are our frontliners in schools should always be ready to face adolescents in need of help no matter the circumstances,” BLSS-SHD Director Lope Santos III said.

The four-day foundational course will be offered first to all Adolescent Reproductive Health focal persons from various school divisions and regional representatives from January to April 2022. Subsequently, the training will be rolled out to schools between April and December 2022.

The activity coincides with the celebration of the International Adolescent Health Week on March 20-26, 2022. This year’s event aims to help primary care providers support learners as they transition from childhood to adulthood.