0.8 Building your hiv-aids program

Strategies for successful programs

There are hundreds of reports that describe an overwhelming picture of the devastation that AIDS has brought to our world.However, there are several innovative programs that are making progress against the disease. It is important to note, though, that even the mostsuccessful of programs are limited unless:

a) Funding is made available from government sources, NGOs, foundations, and businesses.

b) Policies are created to support fair health treatment for all citizens in an atmosphere that does not punish orstigmatize infected populations.

Successful programs in schools and communities include at least one of the following elements:

• Teacher training in general and teacher training in HIV-AIDS.
• Support for the education system itself so that it is sustained, made available to all students, and includes a credible basic edcuationprogram.
• Skill-based health education that promotes behavioral change.
• Special attention to girls - basic education and more leads to lowered infant mortality, higher productivity, fewer riskbehaviors.
• School-based programs that involve youth-friendly services (sports, health, peer activities, use of technology).
• Focus on reaching all ages of students; the early years are essential, but should not stop there.
• Inclusion of parents as well as teachers - involving the entire community so that efforts in school are not undone later.
• Avoidance of stigma towards and associated with HIV-infected people.

UNESCO provides a clear analysis of the elements needed to develop a comprehensive HIV-AIDS education programme:

UNESCO'S Strategy for HIV-AIDS Preventative Education

PDF files below:

UNESCO Strategy

Starting HIV-AIDS Programs 1

Starting HIV-AIDS Programs 2

A special article on stigma associated with HIV-infected people:

Stigma

Worldwide program designs

Recommended Reading : Promoting Reproductive Health in Uganda : Evaluation of a National IEC Program. Uganda has made great strides with its comprehensive approach.(HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Available only online)

Please read the following website carefully for a specific look at the components of successful programs, worldwide:

International Clearinghouse on Curriculum for HIV/AIDS Education (Online only)

PDF Resources:

Multifaceted Approaches

For Health Educators: Prevention of Infection

For Health Educators: Health Care and HIV - A Nutritional Guide

We have provided a synopsis, below, of various regional success stories. Here are several examples of what variouscountries are doing:

Zambia : Education for teacher trainees and school children, including anti-AIDS clubs and peer-led education approaches.Focus on community schools that include counseling and integration of HIV-AIDS awareness into service-learning projects.

Vietnam : Skill-based HIV-AIDS awareness program focusing on the facts of AIDS, coupled with an emphasis on tolerance,decision-making skills, and self confidence.