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The number of people living with HIV increased from
35 million in 2001 to 38 million in 2003. In 2003,
almost
5 million people were infected with HIV and
close to 3 million died as a result of AIDS related
illnesses. Sub-Saharan Africa, with only 10% of the
global population, is home to the majority of people
living with HIV – an estimated 25 million. In 2003,
3 million people in sub-Saharan Africa were infected
with HIV and 2.2 million died of AIDS related
illnesses
(75%of the three million AIDS deaths
around the globe that year). Adult HIV prevalence
rates in most southern African countries appear to
be stabilising at high levels of between 17-30%, and
in the case of Botswana and Swaziland above 35%.
This apparent stabilisation is owing to increasing
numbers of new infections and HIV/AIDS related
deaths cancelling each other out. In eastern Africa
only Uganda has been able to bring about a marked
decrease in HIV and there are signs of some
successes in Rwanda and Ethiopia.
HIV/AIDS has many impacts. In the absence of a cure,
and in most cases in the absence of adequate
treatment, HIV/AIDS diminishes or destroys people’s
quality of life before it takes away life itself. In
the past 20 years we have learnt that good education
is a valuable tool in curbing the spread of the
epidemic. Education (or human capital development)
is critical for both economic growth and
development. Evidence from the developing world
shows that primary school education contributes
significantly to a country’s growth and development.
Education has many other positive developmental
effects; the more education girls have, for example,
the lower the rates of infant and child mortality
and the better the general health and nutritional
status of families will be. Education is
particularly important in increasing the life
chances of the most disadvantaged sectors of any
population. However, HIV/AIDS undermines education,
specifically the supply of and demand for quality
education at all levels.
Levels of HIV amongst teachers may be higher than
those in the general population because of their
relatively higher socio-economic status, greater
mobility, and postings away from home. These factors
may lead to more sexual contacts and an increased
risk of infection. The higher prevalence of HIV/AIDS
amongst teachers impacts negatively on the provision
of education owing to increased levels of teacher
absenteeism and the decline in numbers of teachers
as a result of AIDS related deaths.
In Zambia during the late 1990s the number of
teachers dying from AIDS exceeded those trained by
all of the teacher training colleges. In 1999 an
estimated 860 000 children in sub-Saharan Africa
lost their teachers to AIDS, depriving them of good
quality education. The tragedy is that the primary,
secondary, and tertiary students now affected by
HIV/AIDS are the potential teachers of the future.
The impact of the disease thus reverberates across
generations.
Young people aged from 15-24 years account for
nearly half of all new HIV infections worldwide.
They are part of the largest youth generation in
history and need a protective environment, education
and access to health and support services to reach
their full potential. Children, and in particular
young girls, in households affected by HIV/AIDS bear
the brunt of increasing poverty as they are
withdrawn from school and college to care for ill
family members. In urban areas in Zambia 21% cent of
girls and 17% of boys aged 6-15 had dropped out of
school following an AIDS death in the family. When
their parents die, children orphaned by AIDS –
currently estimated at 12 million –
are even less
likely to attend school. This may increase their
vulnerability to HIV infection as they may engage in
transactional sex to meet their basic needs, and in
some instances to finish their education.
Education for HIV prevention should begin at an
early age, before children and young people are
exposed to risks,
and should be sustained over time.
It needs to include measures to reduce individual
risk and to reduce contextual, environmental and
societal vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. Education
systems in many countries must change substantially
if they are to survive the impact of HIV/AIDS and
play an effective role in providing preventative
education. In particular, teacher education and the organisation of educational institutions may require
redesigning to meet radically changed circumstances.
Providing more flexible forms of education is
essential for reaching vulnerable children and young
people, and ensuring that they gain the knowledge
and skills they will need in the future.
Political commitment and leadership, participatory
planning and inter-sectoral partnership are
essential to a successful response. All of them need
to be founded in a rights-based approach. In
partnership with other bodies, schools have an
important role to play in reducing the risks and
vulnerability associated with the epidemic. Among
the actions that should be prioritised are:
- efforts to ensure that teachers are well prepared
and supported in their teaching on HIV/AIDS through
pre-service and in-service education and training
- preparation and distribution of
scientifically-accurate, good-quality teaching and
learning materials on HIV/AIDS
- promotion of life skills and peer education with
children and young people, and among parents and
teachers and
- elimination of stigma and discrimination, with a
view to respecting human rights and encouraging
greater openness about the epidemic.
There should be greater support for school health
programmes that:
- combine school health policies
- a safe and secure school environment for teachers
and learners
- skills based health education and school health
services and
- explicitly address HIV/AIDS.
Schools should promote policies and practices that
favour access, gender equity, school attendance and
effective learning. |
