Step by Step: A Guide to HIV and Aids Policy Development for the Education Sector

HIV and AIDS have roots within the society, culture and economics of a country, so efforts to address this health issue must inevitably involve a multi-sectoral approach. The education sector can play a key role—teaching students, families and employees about HIV and AIDS, influencing attitudes about the disease and the people who have it, increasing access to services and fostering skills to reduce the risk of HIV transmission.

Step by Step: A Guide to HIV and AIDS Policy Development for the Education Sector is a new publication that provides concrete guidance for developing a comprehensive response to the HIV epidemic within the education sector. Experience has shown that having an HIV and AIDS policy in place is one of the most effective strategies for minimizing the impact of the epidemic. When there is clear policy, systems and laws can be created that reflect a common understanding across the sector.

While this guide is geared towards the Caribbean—which has the second highest prevalence of HIV in the world—its strategies can be modified and applied in other places regions. Enlisting the leadership within the education sector to develop a comprehensive response to HIV and AIDS is essential in any country or region that is committed to addressing this epidemic.

This guide draws on current models of policy development using a four-step process. In the first step, the planning and preparation phase, it is important to gain the support from the Minister of Education, identify key stakeholders, and analyze the local situation, including the data on HIV and AIDS. The next step involves working with the key stakeholders to develop HIV and AIDS policy in specific areas such as prevention, care and support, and managing the response. Practical tools like sample agendas, checklists, and questions to help identify key issues are provided in the guide.

The third step—implementation—requires a well-structured series of activities to help facilitate the process of putting new policies into practice. Determining the activities, creating a timeline, delineating roles and responsibilities, and identifying indicators of success are essential components of this step. Once the policies are in place, monitoring and evaluating how successful they are in addressing HIV and AIDS and making any changes, if necessary, is the final step.

The education sector has a very important role in protecting students, teachers, and staff from HIV and AIDS by developing and adopting appropriate policies. The advantages of setting clear policies around HIV and AIDS can be enormous in terms of preventing human suffering and saving lives.

For more information about our work in the Caribbean or on HIV and AIDS, please contact Connie Constantine at 617-618-2459 or cconstantine@edc.org. This publication is part of the CARICOM-funded project Caribbean Education Sector HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Programme.

March 13, 2008