| De: |
"Mike Munabi" [ Profil ] |
| Sujet: |
Integrating HIV/STD Prevention in School Setting
|
| Envoyé: |
Feb 28th, 2007 - 08:22:07 |
|
| |
*POSITION PAPER SUBMITTED Youth For Change International*
*Integrating HIV/STD prevention
in the school setting*
*1. Rationale*
Young people (10 to 24 years) are estimated to account for up to 60% of all
new HIV infections worldwide. Many young people can be reached relatively
easily through schools; no other institutional system can compete in terms
of number of young people served. Prevention and health promotion programmes
should extend to the whole school setting, including students, teachers and
other school personnel, parents, the community around the school, as well as
school systems. Such activities are a key component of national programmes
to improve the health and development of children and adolescents.
*2. HIV/STD prevention and health promotion*
HIV/STD-related programmes provide an opportunity to strengthen and
accelerate existing health promotion activities in schools. Education to
prevent HIV/STD should be integrated into education about reproductive
health, life skills, alcohol/substance use, and other important health
issues; included in other subject areas as appropriate and established by
official policies; and enhanced by school practices that foster self-esteem,
caring, respect, decision-making, self-efficacy, and conditions that allow
for the healthy development of students and staff. This is done, inter alia,
through materials development, teacher training, supervision, and the
participation of parents and communities.
*3. Policies*
Developing and monitoring a range of policies will be essential for
effective programmes. This includes policies on: human rights (right to
education, to non-discrimination, to confidentiality, to protection of
employment, to protection from exploitation and abuse); access to school by
students and school workers living with HIV/AIDS; pre- and in-service
teacher training; community/parent participation; content of curricula and
extra-curricular activities; and link with health services capable of
providing diagnosis and treatment of STD for young people as well as the
means of protection against unwanted pregnancy and HIV/STD, including
contraceptives and condoms. Policies are developed at different levels,
according to the degree of centralization of the school system.
*4. Learning how to cope*
For young people to develop healthy and responsible behaviour patterns, and
avoid infection, it is not sufficient to learn the biomedical aspects of
sexual and reproductive health. Equally important is learning how to cope
with the increasingly complex demands of relationships, particularly gender
relations and conflict resolution; how to develop safe practices, and how
to relate with the increasing number of people living with HIV and AIDS.
*5. Age*
Prevention and health promotion programmes should begin at the earliest
possible age, and certainly before the onset of sexual activity. They should
reach students before most of them leave or drop out of school, particularly
in countries where girls tend to leave at a younger age. This means that
age-appropriate programmes should start at primary school level.
*6. Life skills*
A life skills approach is important in such programmes. Skills that enable
young people to manage situations of risk for HIV/STD infection are also
essential for the prevention of many other health problems. Such skills
include how to respond adequately to demands for sexual intercourse/offers
of drugs; how to take responsible decisions about difficult options; how to
apply risk reduction techniques; how to refuse unprotected sex when sexually
active, and how to seek appropriate support and care, including health
services and counselling.
*7. Response of school systems*
Although prevention education through school settings is recognized by
almost all countries as necessary, significant institutional, political,
religious and cultural barriers to its implementation will need to be
resolved. In each country, the school system as a whole must respond to
HIV/STD and AIDS, in close collaboration with the Ministries of Education,
Health, Youth and other government sectors, teachers' associations and other
NGOs, and the wider community.
*8. UNAIDS action*
UNAIDS need to facilitate the strengthening of national capacity to develop,
implement, monitor and evaluate programmes that integrate HIV/STD
prevention, health promotion and non-discrimination into school policies,
curricula as well as extra-curricular activities, and training; and
(ii) identify effective and innovative policies, strategies and action in
this area.
|
|
Message
Retour aux messages 
