Combating HIV/AIDS in children and youth through education and training

OBJECTIVES

Main objective:

• Making the policy paper "The Belgian contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS worldwide" of the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation operational on the field of combating HIV/AIDS through education and training

Specific objectives:

• Developing implementation modes for the strategy note for all aspects related to combating HIV/AIDS in children and youth by means of education and training
• Assessing the development and implementation of policies and programmes on HIV/AIDS and education through a field study in Rwanda

METHODS

• Literature review: the literature research aims at studying the relation between HIV/AIDS on the one hand and education and training on the other. Specific objectives of the literature study are to provide background information to the theme of combating HIV/AIDS in children and youth through education and training in sub-Sahara Africa, to study the impact that HIV/AIDS has on the education sector, to study the role that education and training can play in combating HIV/AIDS, to clarify key concepts in the field of HIV/AIDS and education. Searches were performed on Pubmed, Medline, Web of Science and Ebscohost. An internet search was done and grey literature was included
• In depth interviews: a selection of government officials who work in the field of HIV prevention through education were interviewed, as well as representatives of international organization, civil society organization and bilateral cooperation
• School visits: in five secondary schools data were collected by means of in-depth interviews with representatives of the school authority, interviews with teachers, focus group discussions with students

ACTIVITIES

• Review of literature
• Field research in Rwanda (April 2007)
• Regular meetings of the project steering committee

RESULTS

• A literature review on combating HIV/AIDS in children and youth through education and training and on HIV policies, programmes and the needs of children and youth in sub-Sahara Africa
• A report of the field research
• Recommendations on how to make the policy paper operational on the field of combating HIV/AIDS through education and training