The HIV and AIDS Pandemic: A Comprehensive Educational Approach to Prevention, Care and Support at S

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The HIV and AIDS PandemicA Comprehensive
Educational Approach to Prevention, Care and
Support at School Level

• A Case for Eastern and Southern Africa
• UNESCO Paris 20th July 2006

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HIV Prevalence in 13 Eastern and Southern African
Countries (2003 estimates)

• Eastern and Southern Africa epitomise the
  epicentre of the HIV AIDS pandemic

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Orphan hood a Growing Phenomenon in Sub-Saharan
Africa
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Double Orphanhood Double Jeopardy
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Adolescent Girls Young Women Vulnerability to
HIV
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Other Dimensions of the Humanitarian Crisis In
Eastern and Southern Africa

• Multiple Threats to the Region HIV and AIDS,
  deepening poverty, drought, food insecurity and
  political instability in some countries.
  
• The situation requires a comprehensive approach
  that places schools at the centre of the response
  to the multiple threats

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Why a Comprehensive Approach to Prevention, Care
Support in Schools?

• HIV AIDS is weakening education systems in most
  countries of Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA)
  
• Challenges around provision of adequate services
  (water, sanitation, nutrition, health etc.) to
  schools communities
  
• Urgency to enhance the capacity of schools to
  provide adequate preventive education, care and
  support for those affected by HIV AIDS
  
• The Increasing need to empower children,
  especially girls, in relevant life skills through
  good quality education.
  
• The need to strengthen the quality of education,
  including learning through play, sports, arts and
  cultural activities, contributing to prevention
  of infection by HIV
• Inadequate parental community involvement in
  prevention, care and support in and around the
  school

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A Communiqué from ESA Ministers of Education
September 2005

• As a result of a Regional Meeting of Ministers of
  Education from 13 ESA Countries a Communiqué was
  Issued (Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia,
  Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Malawi,
  Uganda, Swaziland, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Zambia)
  
• The Communiqué Essential Services for Children
  Care and Support in Schools included-
  
• Taking the necessary measures to strengthen
  education systems,
  
• Making schools, and alternative learning centres,
  viable centres of learning the primary channel
  for delivery of essential services.
  
• Create Child-friendly schools as centres of care
  and support to prevent further HIV infections and
  accelerate protection for affected children.

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Establish Schools as Centres for Prevention,
Care and support

• Refocus community attention on schools as
  child-friendly centres of learning.
  
• Include delivery of services such as health,
  water, sanitation care and support in schools in
  collaboration with other sectors.
  
• Creating a disaggregated Register of girls, boys,
  teachers and key community partners, noting
  orphans and vulnerable children in particular (at
  school and national levels).
• Resilience-building programmes for orphans and
  vulnerable children, including psychosocial
  support home-based care visits
  
• Ensuring food security, through the establishment
  of school food gardens and institutionalising
  school lunch

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Country Level Initiatives

• The Care and Support Initiative was first
  demonstrated in South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal) now
  in Malawi, Mozambique Swaziland Zambia
  
• The Implementing National Coordination Units are
  multi-sectoral
  
• At community level, schools are arranged onto
  clusters while school boards arranged into
  

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ComprehensiveIntervention Mechanisms (1)

• Through partnerships, Strengthen
• Child-friendly schools with a strong protection
  dimension. Safety and security in and around
  schools for girls boys
  
• Gender sensitive curriculum development and
  psycho-social support
  
• Inter-sectoral/inter-ministerial linkages for the
  provision of school-based health life skills
  education
  
• Non-Formal education for out-of-school youth with
  a focus on literacy of adolescents and women
  
• Measures to address stigma, gender discrimination
  and abuse at school level (ensuring child
  participation girls empowerment)

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ComprehensiveIntervention Mechanisms (2)

• Through partnerships, Strengthen
• National and school leadership advocate early
  childhood education
  
• Transition from primary to post primary
  education
  
• Strategy on emergency preparedness at school
  level
  
• Social protection mechanism (school feeding, cash
  transfers, public works, etc.)
  
• Capacity Development at school, community local
  government levels

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Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation

• Partnerships that work at improving the way
  schools are resourced to ensure that schools
  retain their status as centres for learning and
  essential service points.
• Governments seek technical and financial
  assistance from development partners,
  foundations, donors and the private sector to
  enhance capacity
• Strengthen regional partnerships for mutual
  learning and peer review, research and
  documentation of good practice.
  
• Global and regional partnerships promoted and
  strengthened in order to facilitate continuous
  advocacy and networking for support of national
  regional programs.
• Advocate for a Paradigm shift to promote schools
  as both centres of learning and delivery of
  essential services for children

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This Bold Initiative Requires Technical and
Financial Support to be Scaled-up Within
Countries and Across the Region

• Thank you

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Paramente Phamotse (Mr.)Chief Education Officer
Primary(National EFA Coordinator
Lesotho)Ministry of Education and Training

• P. O. Box 47Maseru, LesothoTel (266) 22
  324369Fax [phone]phamotsep_at_education.g
  ov.ls
  
• www.education.gov.ls