Chetty DR; International Conference on AIDS (15th : 2004 : Bangkok, Thailand).

Int Conf AIDS. 2004 Jul 11-16; 15: abstract no. C10142.

Mobile Task Team on HIV/AIDS in Education, Johannesburg, South Africa

Issues: Higher Education institutions in Africa are under pressure to take the lead in education sector responses to HIV and AIDS. The impact of HIV is already visible in increasing illness, mortality and indirect costs to institutions. In Asia, the threat of HIV and AIDS is also forcing governments and universities to think about their role in new and different ways. Description: This project examines a new initiative to develop and implement a specific approach and tools for use by senior executives and project leaders in the context of universities. The Toolkit draws on good practice from across Africa and parts of Asia, by re-examining the core business of universities (teaching and learning, research, community engagement) and how to integrate HIV and AIDS into these operations. It analyses and proposes responses to the impacts of HIV on institutional management by using case studies. Lessons learned: 1. Universities can make a difference if they choose to. 2. Young adults - who comprise the majority of students - are amongst the most valuable human resources in the education system and those with significant risk profiles. 3. Advocacy, AIDS education, behaviour change and curriculum reform all need to be context specific if they are to be feasible and effective in the institutional setting of a university. 4. Treatment programmes have opened up opportunities in which universities are playing a crucial role in supporting VCT, home based care, training and treatment support in the public sector and internally. Recommendations: 1. In a high prevalence context, prevention alone is no longer tenable. 2. Universities and institutions in low prevalence environments can and must take a stronger role in advocacy, prevention and AISD education. 3. The typical health focused response must be elaborated in an institutional framework to make a sustainable impact on the core business of education institutions.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• Adult
• Africa
• Asia
• Educational Status
• Government
• HIV Infections
• HIV Seropositivity
• Health Education
• Health Planning Guidelines
• Humans
• Organizations
• Research
• Students
• Universities
• education

Other ID:

• GWAIDS0032826

UI: 102277040

From Meeting Abstracts