From Vision to Reality Assessment of School Health Programmes in Public Primary Schools in Ibrahim Kodbur District Hargeisa Somaliland to Advance SDG 3.8 and 4.1

Background The School Health Program (SHP) plays a pivotal role in safeguarding student health and supporting academic achievement. Despite its global significance, limited data exist regarding SHP implementation in Somaliland. This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of SHP in public primary schools within the Ibrahim Kodbour district of Hargeisa. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in all three public primary schools in Ibrahim Kodbur, Hargeisa, Somaliland. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered observational checklist based on WHO and UNICEF frameworks, assessing four components: healthful school environment, school feeding services, skill-based health education, and school health services. Scores were computed and categorized as poor (0–49%), fair (50–59%), or good (60–100%). Descriptive statistics were generated using SPSS version 21. Results The overall mean SHP score was 50.4/127 (47%), indicating poor implementation. Healthful environment scored moderately (mean: 46.8%), while school feeding services (3.6/11) and school health services (9/26) were suboptimal. Skill-based health education was completely absent across all schools (0/17.5). Only two schools had health personnel, and none conducted routine health screenings or had fully equipped sickbays. Sanitation infrastructure relied entirely on pit latrines, with no sewage systems in place. Conclusion SHP implementation in the studied schools is inadequate, with critical gaps in health education, feeding programs, sanitation, and healthcare services. Targeted interventions, including personnel training, infrastructure improvement, and policy enforcement, are urgently needed to promote student health and educational success in low-resource settings.