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

1. The HIV and AIDS Pandemic:A Comprehensive Educational Approach to Prevention, Care and Support at School Level A Case for Eastern and Southern Africa UNESCO Paris 20th July 2006

2. HIV Prevalence in 13 Eastern and Southern African Countries (2003 estimates) Eastern and Southern Africa epitomise the epicentre of the HIV & AIDS pandemic

3. Orphan hood: a Growing Phenomenon in Sub-Saharan Africa

4. Double Orphanhood; Double Jeopardy

5. Adolescent Girls & Young Women Vulnerability to HIV

6. 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

7. 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.) toschools & 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

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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)

12. 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

13. 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. • Governmentsseek 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

14. This Bold Initiative Requires Technical and Financial Support to be Scaled-up Within Countries and Across the Region Thank you…

15. Paramente Phamotse (Mr.)Chief Education Officer – Primary(National EFA Coordinator – Lesotho)Ministry of Education and Training P. O. Box 47Maseru, LesothoTel: (+266) 22 324369Fax: (+266) 22 310562phamotsep@education.gov.ls www.education.gov.ls