HIV/AIDS, Schools and

Education
A Global Strategy Framework
Prepared by the UNAIDS Inter-Agency Working Group on
HIV/AIDS, Schools and Education



"The impact of HIV/AIDS is crushing the
attempts of countries all over the world to
put human development and the rights of
women and children first."

A broader approach is needed to contain
the spread of HIV and address the socio-
economic impacts of HIV/AIDS.
State of the Worlds Children 2002, UNICEF
HIV/AIDS, Schools and Education:
Global Strategy Framework



The education sector must be seen, and
must see itself, as a central player in this
global priority.
Protecting a new generation from HIV/AIDS
is imperative to the future of education
systems, which are themselves falling victim
to the effects of HIV/AIDS.
HIV/AIDS, School and Education:
Global Strategy Framework


The purpose of the Strategy Framework
To facilitate development of country-
level strategic plans for HIV/AIDS
prevention and impact management in
education systems, as part of an
expanded global response to the
pandemic.


The focus
May also be relevant to other
educational settings (pre-school,
tertiary, vocational, non-formal settings)
Children and young people at or near
school age, in primary and secondary
school settings


The Strategy Framework can be used...
As a guide for country level action, to be adapted
and implemented at all levels
To inform and guide education planners, policy-
makers, HIV/AIDS taskforce teams, teachers and
their professional unions, & non-governmental
organisations
To complement the goals and strategies of
existing international or national frameworks
and plans for action (e.g., EFA and CRC plans)
To support and expand upon the UNAIDS
Framework for Global Leadership on HIV/AIDS,
with regard to young people in educational
settings
To guide the work of international organisations



Lessons hard learned
The scale of the pandemic today has
exceeded worst-case projections for young
people. In many countries, 15-24 year olds
constitute the majority of new HIV infections.

By seriously affecting the supply and quality
of education, AIDS is threatening recent gains
that provided the most disadvantaged with
access to school.








Europe
80,000 /
140,000
North Africa
& Middle
East
15,000 /
28,000
Sub-Saharan Africa
5,3000,000 /
2,600,000
Central Asia
<5,000 /
<5,000
East/South Asia &
Pacific
880,000 /
660,000
Americas
200,000 / 440,000
Global Total: 10.3 Million Young People
(15-24 year olds estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS
end of 1999)
Source: UNAIDS/UNICEF 2000, The Progress of Nations 2000


Female /Male
Source: State of the Worlds Children 2002, UNICEF


Education itself can reduce vulnerability to HIV/AIDS

Education is the key to reducing stigma, promoting
greater understanding of HIV/AIDS and providing skills
necessary to protect oneself and care for others

Schools have the opportunity to reach young people
early, in the window of hope between the ages of 6-
14 when few young people are infected

Well-implemented school-based HIV/AIDS prevention
programs have shown to reduce key HIV/AIDS risks


On a positive note
The goal of the Strategy Framework
To increase the education sectors contribution to
two key and inter-linked goals:


To increase the education sectors
contribution to 2 key and inter-linked targets:
To achieve 25% reduction in HIV infection rates
among young people in most affected countries
by 2005, and globally by 2010
To ensure that by 2015, all children have access to
and complete primary education of good quality
Risk
Reduction
Vulnerability
Reduction
Impact
Reduction
Objectives
Simultaneously address 3 basic and
inter-related dynamics of the epidemic
for an expanded response to HIV/AIDS


Key actions within each objective
Leadership

Strategic areas
Situational analysis

Advocacy

Participatory
planning
Mobilising
resources
Partnerships

Research, monitoring
& evaluation

The Strategy Framework recommends actions within each area


Objective 1. Reducing Risk
Key Outcomes
Students and their teachers have the
knowledge, attitudes and skills they
need to reduce their HIV/AIDS
related risk, and to care for
& support those affected by HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS risk reduction
addressed through life
skills-based programs in
all schools
To strengthen capacities of education systems,
especially schools, to implement well-resourced, full-scale
HIV/AIDS prevention programs which specifically address
key risk behaviours and situations
Children and young
people avoiding risks
for HIV

Link formal and non-formal HIV/AIDS
prevention programs

Scale up ongoing support to teachers and
other educators regarding their own
HIV/AIDS prevention needs

Link HIV/AIDS specific prevention
programs to broader school health
programs (FRESH), with the following
components...


Reducing Risk - Strategic Areas


Develop strong national and school policies in
support of AIDS prevention education. Promote
translation of policies into enforceable laws and
regulations;

Implement skills based health education to meet
nationally defined standards relating to knowledge,
attitudes and behaviours for preventing AIDS;

Provide access to essential health services and
supplies to support uptake of risk reduction
behaviour (access to condoms, VCCT, STI
prevention & management, substance abuse);

Coordinate school-community partnerships to reach
out-of-school youth



Reducing Risk - Strategic Areas



The Strategy Framework includes a more detailed
discussion of risk reduction and suggests possible
indicators by which to monitor efforts in this area
(outcome and process indicators at the international
and national levels)

Reducing Risk



Objective 2. Reducing Vulnerability
Key Outcomes
By 2015, all children have access to
and complete free and compulsory
primary eduction of good quality
All schools are imple-
menting effective
school health programs
To improve the capacity of education systems to reduce
vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and promote factors and
environments that are inclusive, healthy and
protective for individuals, communities and societies
Reduced rates of STI and
unwanted pregnancies
among young people
Orphans, girls & other children and
young people highly vulnerable to
HIV risk are achieving on equal basis
with other students

Provide high quality education for all
children, particularly girls, orphans and
other vulnerable children

Implement effective school health
programs that address HIV/AIDS
prevention, care and support, by
coordinating the following components...



Reducing Vulnerability -
Strategic Areas








Reducing Vulnerability -
Strategic Areas

Ensure policies are in place to address HIV/AIDS related
protective and vulnerability factors;

Provide access to adequate drinking water and
sanitation facilities

Provide full-scale skills based health education with a
balance of relevant knowledge, attitudes and skills-
building;

Facilitate access to basic health, nutrition and psycho-
social services to reduce young peoples vulnerability to
HIV infection;

Enhance school-community partnerships for learning,
leisure, vocational and livelihood guidance and training


Objective 3. Managing Impact
Key Outcomes
HIV/AIDS infected and affected
children, especially orphans, enrolled
in education and achieving on an
equal basis with other students
Matched supply of,
and demand for,
teachers in schools
To assess, manage and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on
education systems and individuals
Reduced HIV/AIDS
related stigma/
discrimination affecting
children, YP, teachers,
and other educational
staff
Managing Impact -
Strategic Areas

Ensure access to high quality education
for orphans, children living with
HIV/AIDS, and children in families
affected by HIV/AIDS, by
Reducing social and economic barriers to accessing and
staying in education

Developing innovative ways of providing education for
orphans, children living with HIV/AIDS and children in families
affected by HIV/AIDS

Reviewing pre- and in-service manager and teacher training
to ensure support for orphans, children living with HIV/AIDS
and children in families affected by HIV/AIDS
Managing Impact -
Strategic Areas

Ensure teachers are supported to build
their personal capacity to cope with the
impact of HIV/AIDS
Ensure adequate supply of teachers and
managers
Adjust recruitment of teachers and manager to meet
projected demands

Ensure decent working conditions for teachers

Early Concentrated Generalised
Strategies for different stages of the epidemic
HIV/AIDS/STI prevention programs to
address specific risk behaviours and
situations

Education and services, such as
VCCT, life skills, health & nutrition
services, for key groups vulnerable
to HIV/AIDS (e.g., girls, orphans,
IDU, sex workers)
Mitigate impact through
recruitment of teachers, access
to psycho-social, health & income-
generating services for students
& staff affected/infected by HIV/AIDS
Contributing agencies

UNAIDS
UNDCP
UNDP
UNESCO
UNFPA
UNICEF
UNIFEM
WHO
World Bank


International Federation of Medical
Students
Partnership for Child Development
Save the Children Fund, UK
USAID
Johns Hopkins University
Aga Khan Foundation
ADEA
CDC, USA
CIDA
Commonwealth Youth Program
DFID
Education Development Center
Education International
The Inter-Agency Working Group
on HIV/AIDS, Schools and Education:
Partner Organisations: