Education and HIV & AIDS

In vast areas of Sub-Saharan Africa HIV/Aids threatens to destroy decades of investment in economic and social development. The AIDS epidemic is presenting particular challenges to the education sector, not least by hindering its capacity to deliver quality education for all. The human resource base is rapidly eroding, as are the number of individuals expected to seek and receive its services. 

The UNESCO Office in Harare is increasing its involvement in the fight against HIV/Aids in the region.  We firmly believe in using education as a vehicle for combating HIV/Aids while at the same time we recognize the damaging impact of HIV/Aids on the education system.  Therefore, we apply a dual approach that endeavours to:  

• maximise the impact of education on the epidemic along a prevention to care continuum, and

• minimise the impact of the epidemic on education.

Our programme is known as the “HIV/Aids and Education Programme for the Southern African Region”.  The programme will run for four years (2001-2005) and has activities in four countries: Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  Core funding is provided by the Belgian Government, while additional funds are made available by UNAIDS.

For more information visit the EDUCAIDS site or read the online EDUCAIDS newsletter.

UNAIDS releases policy on greater involvement of people living with HIV and AIDS

Greater involvement of people living with HIV and AIDS (GIPA) is a principle that promotes the realisation of rights and responsibilities of people living with HIV, including their right to self-determination and participation in decision-making processes that affect their lives. It aims to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the AIDS response by engaging people living with the virus to share personal experiences on factors that make communities and individuals vulnerable to its infection and strategies of managing HIV-related illnesses.

Working with people living with HIV (PLWHA) improves the relevance, acceptability and effectiveness of programmes. Proactive engagement by communities in ensuring their own well-being is a key ingredient for successful intervention programmes. The GIPA policy ensures that PLWHA are equal partners in HIV and AIDS response. It also, seeks to break down simplistic (and false) assumption that “service providers” are people living without HIV and “service receivers” are those living with HIV.

Engaging PLWHA is critical in scaling up national AIDS responses to achieve the goal of universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support services. GIPA has many advantages, including:

• improvements in self-esteem and morale at individual levels;

• changing perceptions, as well as providing valuable experiences and knowledge; and

• breaking down fear and prejudice by showing that PLWHA are productive members of, and contributors to, society.

In terms of the national response, PLWHA support many activities including the roll-out of treatment campaigns (through educating others on treatment options, side effects and adherence), participating in the development and monitoring of HIV-related policies at all levels and taking leadership of HIV support groups or networks.

PLWHA are central to the achievement of GIPA. However, they face challenges such as:

• weak management and funding constraints;

• limited documentation of histories of self-empowerment; and

• societal barriers like stigma and discrimination.

To overcome these and enable their greater involvement, UNAIDS urges governments, international organisations and the civil society to:

• set, implement and monitor minimum targets for the participation of PLWHA, including women and marginalised populations, decision-making bodies; and

• involve PLWHA in developing funding priorities and the selection, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of HIV programmes.

UNAIDS further:

• urges governments to include GIPA in the National AIDS Plan;

• calls upon governments to enable PLWHA to claim their rights and meet their responsibilities by creating a supportive legal and policy environment;

• recommends promotion of better understanding of HIV-related vulnerabilities and the needs of people living with HIV in the community and the workplace;

• proposes that organisations of PLWHA should establish common ground with other organisations and networks and be part of the decision-making process.

For more information, visit: http://data.unaids.org/pub/BriefingNote/2007/JC1299_Policy_Brief_GIPA.pdf. Top