By Nazario Rodriguez Jr.
Horizon news staff

The Ministry of Health concluded on Sunday the Second Annual Health and Physical Education Conference in Peleliu with close to a hundred participants from different schools and other agencies attending.
The two main objectives of the three-day workshop (Jan 26-28) included the review of Senate Bill 7-88 and the integration of health and PE activities in Palau.
Special guests of honors during the first day of conference on Friday Jan 26 were Gov. Jackson Ngiraingas (opening address), Minister of Health Dr. Victor Yano (opening remarks), Senator Santy Asanuma (speaker), PTA Chairman Billy Rekemel (speaker), Dr. Isebong Asang (conference overview) and Dr. Stevenson Kuartei (closing remarks).
Ngiraingas thanked the organizers for holding such conference as he emphasized the need for every government agency to have health as a priority.
Yano and Kuartei discussed issues and programs with regards to the important partnership between the MOH and MOE.
Asanuma spent time in identifying important laws of several states in the US regarding health and other issues.
The piece of legislation that was discussed was Senate Bill 7-88, which was already passed in the Senate and is now pending in the House of Delegates.
The bill, which was introduced by Senator Mlib Tmetuchl, is to require the development and implementation of a health curriculum for Grades 1 through 12 of all schools in Palau.
Dr. Asang said the participants made some recommendations on the wordings to the bill and relayed to Sen. Asanuma.
According to the bill, it is important that all children in Palau receive as part of their schooling basic education in health to ensure good health and healthy lifestyles for future generations.
It said that the issues to be addressed include healthy foods, the effects and the risks of alcohol and tobacco use, the value of regular exercise, common illnesses and medical conditions and their treatment, first aid, the dangers of drug abuse and sex education.
The bill said that MOE must develop a health education curriculum for Grades 1 to 12 for all schools in Palau that would provide information and instruction in nutrition and the other areas mentioned above.