Schools are essential for young people to acquire knowledge, socioemotional skills including selfregulation and resilience, and critical thinking skills that provide the foundation for a healthy future. Access to education and safe and supportive school environments have been linked to better health outcomes. In turn, good health is linked to reduced drop-out rates and greater educational attainment, educational performance, employment and productivity. WHO has long recognized the link between health and education and the potential for schools to play a central role in safeguarding student health and well-being. In 1995, WHO launched the Global School Health Initiative, which aimed to strengthen approaches to health promotion in schools. Among those approaches, pairing children with health services occupies an important place. Many health conditions can be better managed or prevented if detected early. The school environment and school health services provide an opportunity for timely interventions across a range of conditions, including anxiety and depression, behavioural disorders, diabetes, overweight, obesity and undernutrition. There are many reasons why school health services are uniquely placed to contribute to the health and well-being of school-age children. First, they operate where most children are, and they have access to families. Secondly, they are free at the point of use and overcome barriers such as transport issues, limited community services, and inconvenient location or appointment systems, and therefore have the potential to better serve underprivileged populations.