UNICEF and the National Center for Disease Control reach 1500 students with a nationwide school campaign to promote healthy lifestyles among adolescents

YEREVAN, 4 June  2026 – UNICEF and the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia wrapped-up the results from a nationwide school-based campaign aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles and strengthening health literacy among adolescents across Armenia’s regions.

The campaign, running from May 6 (Ararat) to May 27 (Goris) was designed as a series of regional school events reaching approximately 1,500 students in all marzes, excluding Yerevan. A second round is already planned for fall 2026, reflecting the campaign’s scalable approach.

The campaign targets schoolchildren in three age groups - grades 5–6, 7–9, and 10–11. Participants rotate through three thematic stations covering healthy nutrition, physical activity, and mental health and healthy relationships. Students also prepare a poster competition focused on the importance of healthy sleep habits.

“The overall objective is to promote practical healthy lifestyle habits and informed decision-making through engaging formats that include discussions, games, quizzes, and physical activities. Teachers also play an important role in the campaign by reinforcing key messages within the healthy lifestyle subject area in grades 5-11,” explains Liana Hovakimyan, Health Specialist of UNICEF Armenia. “For the past five years, UNICEF and UNFPA and other UN agencies have supported the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports to not only develop the subject-matter area textbooks and teachers’ guidebook but also provide trainings of teachers and mentors  and ensure the pilot and rollout across the country. . This campaign, in coordination with the Ministry of Health, adds an important layer of positive reinforcement.”

The campaign aligns with the Ministry of Health’s public health priorities, particularly in the areas of non-communicable disease prevention and health promotion, while UNICEF brings its expertise in adolescent health communication, behavior change, and child-centered educational approaches. The key topics that students review together across the three thematic stations include balanced nutrition and healthy daily routines, physical activity, coordination, and teamwork, mental resilience and emotional well-being, reduced screen dependency, addressing peer pressure, and healthy choices.  

Adolescence is a critical stage of life when young people develop the knowledge and habits that lay the foundation for lifelong health and well-being. It is also the period when decision-making skills begin to take shape. Our goal is to support children in making informed choices that will positively influence their health and future. The Regional School Campaign for Healthy Lifestyle seeks to foster a culture of healthy lifestyles among children by equipping them with the knowledge and skills to live healthy lives. This idea is at the heart of both the campaign’s title and its slogan," said Tatevik Margaryan, Head of the Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Division at the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia.

The campaign sessions are facilitated by a team of experienced professionals from UNICEF partner institutions, including Tatevik Abrahamyan, child psychologist and co-founder of Armenian Association of Child and Education Psychologists, pediatricians Ani Margaryan and Armine Vardanyan from Wigmore Women’s and Children’s Hospital. The physical activities are led by Tatev Khachatryan, five-time boxing champion of Armenia and Hovhannes Avagyan, GoFit founder and fitness trainer.

The campaign aims not only to increase children’s knowledge of healthy lifestyles, but also to help them translate that knowledge into everyday habits. Through participatory and practical learning approaches, children develop the skills they need to make informed choices that support their health and well-being, while building the foundations for a healthy lifestyle from an early age.