HIV/AIDS & Education

From the Preface

"HIV/AIDS continues to expand in numbers and reach, with noimmediate medical solutions in view. As a consequence, thecentrality of prevention and mitigation through education isbeing recognized in countries and among agencies. Educational interventions across a range of settings should provide the knowledge and encourage the development of attitudes and skills that can limit the spread and impact of the epidemic. Agreement about what the issues are, and key actions to be taken, can help to increase the speed and effectiveness of the response.

Such a response is made more urgent because HIV/AIDSseriously threatens the attainment of the Education for All goalsset during the year 2000 World Education Forum in Dakar. Inthe worst affected countries, the epidemic is decimating theeducation workforce and causing untold suffering to children,young people and their families.

HIV/AIDS also poses major threats to the broader goals forsustaining development and eliminating poverty set duringthe Millennium Summit, including those relating to universalaccess to primary education and to gender equality. Togetherwith other sectors, education has a key role to play in ensuringthat these goals, along with those set during the year 2001United Nations General Assembly Special Session onHIV/AIDS, are met.

To this end, the UNAIDS Inter Agency Task Team (IATT) onEducation, has developed a framework strategy to focusattention on what is known, and what needs to be learned, about scaling up the response to the epidemic througheducation. The strategy has received input from a variety ofagencies and groups, both within the UN system and beyond.As much a process as a product, the strategy should be used atall levels as the opportunity for constructive dialogue aboutthe successes and difficulties of working to mitigate HIV/AIDSthrough educational systems.

The strategy does not pretend to cover all levels, kinds andsettings of learning. It focuses principally on formal, schoolbasededucation, although its principles are equally applicablein other learning environments. It is a document that shouldbe used to build awareness about building responses to theHIV/AIDS epidemic into educational systems, and to help setin motion the necessary changes. It attempts to establishpriorities that should work in most settings, without beingoverly prescriptive. Finally, it stresses the need to understandthe complexity of the changes needed.

Factors affecting the spread of HIV/AIDS include of courseeducation, but also health, economics, culture, law, andgovernance, to name a few. A timid approach that avoidsdiscussion and confrontation of these complexities is doomedto failure. A diversity of responses is required, including work toraise awareness and stimulate action among educationdecision-makers, as well as efforts directly targeting youngpeople whether in or out of school."

Some of the key priority efforts advocated for in this paper include:

• Efforts to ensure that teachers are well prepared andsupported in their teaching on HIV/AIDS through pre-serviceand in-service education and training;
• Preparation and distribution of scientifically-accurate,good-quality teaching and learning materials on HIV/AIDS,communication and life skills;
• Promotion of life skills and peer education with children and young people, and among parents and teachersthemselves;
• Elimination of stigma and discrimination, with a view torespecting human rights and encouraging greateropenness concerning the epidemic;
• Support for school health programmes that combineschool health policies, a safe and secure school environmentfor both teachers and learners, skills based health education and school health services, and that explicitlyaddress HIV/AIDS;
• Promotion of policies and practices that favour access,gender equity, school attendance and effective learning.

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