Assessment of School Health Services in Public Primary Schools in Kwara State

School health services constitute a cornerstone of the comprehensive school health programme, providing preventive, promotive, and curative health support to the school-age population. This study assesses the availability and functionality of school health services in public primary schools in Kwara State, North Central Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with data collected from 30 public primary schools across six local government areas through structured observation checklists, interviews with head teachers, and questionnaires administered to school health personnel. School health service components assessed include health appraisal, health counselling, communicable disease control, emergency care, and school environment sanitation. Findings reveal a widespread deficit in school health service provision, with only 23 percent of sampled schools having a designated health room and fewer than 15 percent employing a school health nurse or officer. School environmental sanitation standards are met in only one-third of schools, with inadequate toilet facilities and unsafe water supply being the most critical concerns. Health counselling services are non-existent in over 80 percent of sampled schools. Urban schools consistently demonstrate better service availability than rural counterparts. Recommendations include the development and implementation of a state-level school health services policy, recruitment of school health personnel, allocation of dedicated funding for school health programmes, and regular supervision and monitoring of school health standards. Keywords: school health services, primary schools, Kwara State, school health programme, availability