Meeting our Commitments: The Role of Education in the Prevention and Mitigation of HIV/AIDS Education is both necessary for combatting HIV as well as being threatened by its spread. These two sides of a same coin are what I would I would like to briefly explore in these 10 minutes Emmanuelle Abrioux Regional Project Officer: Life Skills Based Education UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Region

Impact of HIV/AIDS On: supply, demand and quality Reduces numbers of teachers able to work and resources available As a response to household expenditures or care of ailing family members children are withdrawn from schools With decreasing human and material resources and health and presence of learners. UNICEF

Relevant Commitments Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) Children are informed, have access to education and are supported in the use of knowledge of child health and nutrition An education which is directed to the preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society (…) Education for All (EFA) Learning Needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life skills programmes Improving all aspects of the quality of education. Measureable learning outcomes are achieved including essential life skills. EFA: however relevant across goal areas as ensuring that all hcildren (those in difficult circumstances) have accee to and complete free and compulsory primary education of good quality.. Or equally eliminating gender disparties- as girls are more vulnerable in many places of Asia than boys to HIV Millenium Development Goals further support- underpin- this : to have halted by 2015 and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS UNICEF

Relevant Commitments United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS) By 2010 at least 95% of young men and women aged 15 to 24 have access to the information, education and services necessary to develop life skills required to reduce vulnerability to HIV infection UNICEF

What are the Aims of the Education System? Develop good relationships/ respect differences between people Develop respect for environments and communities Develop confidence and responsibility and make the most of their abilities Promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Being Healthy Staying Safe Making a Positive Contribution Enjoying and Achieving Achieving socio economic well-being Number of HIV infected people in South and South East Asia is 7.1 million. Whilst the actual prevalence rate remains relatively low (particularly to rates which our colleagues in most African countries are having to struggle with)- at 0.6%- there are pockets with higher prevalence rates which are one indication of a shift towards a generalised epidemic. UNICEF

The Pillars of HIV Prevention Education Teaching Methodologies Healthy Young People Social Economic Political Environment Need to understand the issues- and be open minded about this. Research has shown that teaching about sexuality and relationships, including HIV/AIDS does not increase the number of young people engaging in sexual intercourse. Similarly, where abstinence is the only message which is given rates of teenage pregnancy and STDs have actually increased in the US. Many of the underlying factors beneath the risky behaviour are similar- need for a holistic picture of health and wellbeing. Similarly HIV/AIDS educaiton programmes are but one piece in a larger puzzle and in and of themselves are insufficient to reduce the number of children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS The review found that abstinence-only programs show little evidence of sustained, long-term impact on adolescents' attitudes favoring abstinence or on teens' intentions to abstain. Importantly, in only one of the ten states did any program demonstrate short-term success in delaying the initiation of sex, and none showed long-term success in impacting teen sexual behavior. Proven correlation between well-designed, well taught LSE and reduction of drug use prevalence (Boltvin, cohort studies USA) Analysis of 83 programme evaluations on Sex and HIV Education in developing and developed countries Overall these programmes were far more likely to have a positive impact on behaviour than a negative impact Initiation of Sex Number of Sexual Partners Impact on Condom Use: Almost half of the studies found increased condom use. Impact on sexual risk taking behaviours UNICEF

Core Characteristics of Effective HIV Prevention Education Programmes Focus on a small number of behaviours Based on sound theoretical approaches Starts early and lasts a sufficient length of time Provide basic information Give clear messages Model/practice skills (including life skills) Encourage variety of teaching/learning methods Based on understanding of issues affecting children/young people Include capacity building (teachers, school directors, administrators) Example of Malaysia: National sexuality education guidelines Thailand: teenpath programme providing comprehensive sexuality and relationship education in schools To what extent do our INSETT and PSTT programmes prepare teachers to teach about sexuality, relationships and sensitive health issues. UNICEF

UNICEF