AEGiS-06IAC: "A generation free of AIDS"; developing AIDS education materials for public and private schools of Malawi.

6th International AIDS Conference


San Francisco, California, USA — June 20-23, 1990

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"A generation free of AIDS"; developing AIDS education materials for public and private schools of Malawi.

Int Conf AIDS 1990 Jun 20-23; 6:340 (abstract no. Th.D.858)
Dupree JD, Mkwinda EN, Kalilani JA; AIDSCOM, Washington, DC, USA

OBJECTIVE: Focus group research with teachers and pupils indicates that sexual experimentation often begins prior to adolescence. Because HIV is sexually transmitted, Malawi's National AIDS Committee set AIDS education to youth as its top priority activity.

METHODS: Focus groups have been conducted among school-age boys and girls, parents and teachers, to define more clearly the target audiences. Multi-sectoral collaboration to develop curriculum and additional visual materials for the schools has involved Ministries of Health/Education/Culture/Community Services, UNICEF, WHO/GPA, Private Schools of Malawi, and AIDSCOM/ USAID. Research and materials development has been done by teachers, health educators, school administrators, health personnel, religious leaders, artists and writers. After formative focus group research and materials development, mock presentations of a curriculum unit were made (and videotaped in some cases) to each of the focus groups, following which feedback/suggestions were incorporated into revisions.

RESULTS: A Teacher's Guide and Student Handbook have been drafted for each level of Malawi's public and private schools. These materials are being pre-tested and revised. A corps of teachers will be trained by September 1990 to implement the activity by October 1990.

CONCLUSIONS: Multi-sectoral efforts involving collaboration among public and private sectors can be successful in developing appropriate and acceptable materials for educating young people about AIDS prevention. Hopefully, families and friends of the students, teachers and parents will also benefit from this open discussion of the issues, although this remains to be studied. Also remaining to be studied is whether this program helps in reduction of HIV transmission.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Schools, Curriculum, HIV Infections, Teaching, Focus Groups, Videotape Recording, Students, Malawi, Male, Female, prevention & control, education, ICA6KWDaegis,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,schools,curriculum,hivinfections,teaching,focusgroups,videotaperecording,students,malawi,male,female,prevention&control,education,ica6

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ThD858

Copyright © 1990 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.