World Bank Urges African Nations To Integrate HIV/AIDS Prevention Efforts Into Education Systems
African nations must utilize their education systems to teach children, young people and teachers about how to prevent HIV transmission, according to a statement issued Saturday by the World Bank, Agence France-Presse reports. The statement was released following a meeting held last week among officials with the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development, non-governmental organizations and the Inter-Agency Task Team on AIDS, which includes representatives from all of the United Nations' humanitarian agencies. The meeting was also attended by government officials from Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Noting that the education sector is "central" to HIV/AIDS prevention, the World Bank statement urged African nations to "build capacities to respond, with timely actions, to prevent school-age children and teachers from being infected with HIV." The statement noted that there is still a chance to use education to prevent HIV infections among young people who have not yet engaged in sexual activity. The World Bank noted that HIV/AIDS has hampered education efforts in many African countries because the disease has led to declining student attendance and a growing number of deaths among teachers (Agence France-Presse, 11/23).
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