EDUCATION SECTOR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR HIV/AIDS PREVENTION

INTRODUCTION The education of children, youth, families and the community is essential for the promotion of health. Quality education contributes to the increase of knowledge and individual capacities for the prevention of endemic diseases. In 2006 the Ministry of Education developed its first strategic plan to combat HIV /AIDS and in 2010 it carried out an assessment in five provinces. The reports of this assessment formed the basis for the strategic plan review, which began in 2012. The fight against the major endemic diseases is a major concern of the Angolan Executive, to mitigate the impact. These diseases are a major obstacle to the economic and social development of the country, often compromising the progress already achieved.

This Strategic Plan is the recognition that health problems need a multi-sectorial and multidisciplinary intervention. To the Education Sector is attributed a fundamental role in health education by providing a school environment as a potential space, necessary for the organization of various social actors, mainly the students, the family and the community.

VISION: By 2017, students, teachers and the school community, as a whole must hold knowledge and skills to enable them to assess and reduce their vulnerability to the major endemic diseases (HIV and AIDS).

OBJECTIVES To improve knowledge, attitudes and practices of students, teachers, educators, staff and structures in the Education Sector and families in as far as HIV and AIDS are concerned. To strengthen the network of protection, care and support services to students, teachers and other staff members in the Education Sector in the area of HIV/AIDS. To ensure the development of technical skills in the Education Sector for comprehensive sexual health education.

GOALS By 2017 about 70% of the staff in the Education Sector and students at primary, secondary and vocational training schools shall have acquired knowledge and skills to prevent HIV/AIDS; By 2017, a functional Care and Support System shall be established by at least, 60% of the structures in the Education Sector; By 2017, the Education Sector will have created improved responsiveness to deal with serious epidemics.

TARGET GROUP Children and Young People inside and outside the Education System; Teachers for Primary, Secondary, Technical and Vocational and Special Education; School Principals, Directors and school staff; Other professionals in the Education Sector (officials of central structures, provincial and local); Parents Committees and Guardians, Families.

ACTION AREAS Prevention Care and Support Institutional Strengthening

Prevention To strengthen the integration of issues, HIV, sexual and reproductive health education in the school curriculum (primary, secondary and vocational professional levels), cross adapting the contents to different age groups; To identify priority programmes to address the factors that make young children and vulnerable adults face endemic diseases and ensure that they are integrated into the education sector response, creating partnerships with other institutions where necessary. To address stigma and discrimination, promoting inclusion and solidarity in the education sector;

CARE AND SUPPORT It is related to the protective function that the sector can play among its employees and users. The Education Sector (mainly the schools) must promote a protective environment for all its users, particularly for those children and young people who face increased vulnerability due to major endemic diseases. The Education Sector will strive to enhance/extend sustainable support services to the student, which will contribute to attenuate the negative impact of endemic diseases in the school community. The Sector will strengthen synergies with other key sectors such as health, social reintegration and other mechanisms to establish links with care, support and protection that are relevant.

INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTH The Education Sector must understand and respond to the challenges that are proposed in the present Strategic Plan: To identify training needs and enhance skills at the Central, Provincial and local levels (to the level of schools) for planning, implementation and monitoring of interventions under the new Strategic Plan; To improve the division of tasks by defining responsibilities at Central and local levels; To improve coordination at all levels; To promote partnerships with other ministerial sectors, private sector, churches, NGOs, among others;

Actions: Training of trainers (initial and on-going) Teachers’ training (initial and on-going) Trainers’ training for peer education (Nacional, Provincial, Municipal).

Expected Results Enhanced teachers' skills to administer topics on sexuality, sexual and reproductive health and HIV, both inside and outside the classroom. Enhanced skills for sector staff and students on prevention and reduction of vulnerability. Enhanced HIV-AIDS Clubs in schools.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH