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 9
August 2009
BALI, Indonesia: At the 9th International
Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) Special Session
on Enhancing HIV Prevention for Adolescents through Effective
Health and Sexuality Education, representatives of Education,
youth, teachers and civil society organizations in the region
signed a commitment statement to promote school based HIV-prevention.
They will monitor their actions and will report at the 10th
International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific.
One hundred forty participants attended the
event, which was supported by Plan International, PATH, UNESCO/UNFPA/UNICEF.
They shared good practices and challenges and discussed ways
to improve partnership for policy development and advocacy
for sexuality and HIV education in schools.
There are 1.2 billion adolescents in the world
with 80% of them living in developing countries. As development
actors and future leaders, young people’s health, education
and productivity will determine the development course of
countries in Asia and the Pacific. The spread of HIV has been
a serious health challenge affecting young people. Every 14
seconds a youth is infected by HIV, and youth (increasingly
women) account for nearly half of the new cases of HIV infection
worldwide. In general, adolescents in developing countries
in the region have limited access to quality health and sexuality
education and relevant services. This is further compounded
by the taboo surrounding HIV/AIDS and the prevailing stigma
and discriminations.
The response to HIV prevention won’t be successful
without empowering adolescents with HIV education in classrooms.
Education, health, youth and HIV/AIDS activists voiced the
urgency for effective HIV prevention education for all adolescents
in schools. Parents and community must be involved in health
and sexuality education, including HIV as these are both needs
and rights of adolescents.
Evidence across countries shows that effective HIV education
in schools has contributed to adolescents’ knowledge
and skills that are essential for coping with puberty, developing
personal relationships, HIV prevention, delaying experimentation
with alcohol and drugs as well as improving attitudes towards
people living with HIV.
Participants from across Asia and the Pacific region at this
special session agreed that efforts should be intensified
to implement quality and comprehensive HIV and sexuality education
in schools. David Clarke, a consultant for Plan International,
said having effective policies would guide Ministries of Education
to deliver HIV education in schools or out of schools. He
continued that the Ministries of Education and Health need
to work hand in hand to give adolescents and young people
the information, counseling and the services they need.
Most countries in Asia have a policy in place addressing
health and sexuality or HIV education. In 2008, 15 countries
reported they have a policy or a strategy promoting HIV-related
reproductive and sexual health education for young people.
Cambodia’s Deputy Director at the Ministry of Education,
Youth and Sport Mr. Kim Sanh said that out of school and most
at risk young people are the most difficult to reach. Mr.
Chalern Souvong, Director General at the Ministry of Education
of Lao PDR, highlighted that the limited expansion of the
life skills programme is largely due to limited funding.
A common challenge to implementation of comprehensive health
and sexuality education is teachers’ unease in discussing
sexuality in the classroom. Quality teacher training has been
emphasized as a need in most countries. In some countries,
governments face cultural sensitivities and community resistance.
Sex Education is strongly contested in some countries, including
some states in India and in the Philippines. “Parents
and teachers do not discuss HIV issues, most don’t receive
comprehensive information and are not prepared to discuss
them. In the absence of a cure, education is the only currently
available vaccine,” said Hubert Gijzen, UNESCO Representative.
Countries should pay more attention to better dissemination
of their policies on education including HIV and sexuality
education to all stakeholders, in particular, schools, parents
and communities.
For effectiveness, involvement of community elements through
school management committees, parent-teacher association and
other appropriate mechanism haven’t been optimally used
to strengthen HIV prevention for youth. In Vietnam, efforts
include linking schools with youth friendly services, according
to La Quy Don, Vice Director at Vietnam’s Ministry of
Education and Training.
For the ways forward, participants indicated a need to enhance
the participation of adolescents and to move towards a rights-based
approach to HIV and sexuality education.
For further information please contact:
Maria Endah Hulupi
UNFPA Communications Officer: 0812 1115 116
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