52% of all new HIV infections amongst young people occur in Eastern and Southern Africa, and as many as six in ten of all young women have had a child by the time they reach 19 years old. These facts and others have seen SIDA-NORAD join forces with UNESCO to scale-up and roll-out comprehensive sexual education in the region. Many young people across Africa grow into adolescence and adulthood with inadequate knowledge about their reproductive health and sexuality.
Why? Good question. While we think about it, this knowledge gap has consequences:
- High rates of HIV infection; with young women (15-24 years) as much as six times more likely to be infected
- High levels of teenage pregnancy
- Persistent gender inequality and human rights violations
- Sexually transmitted infections, including HIV
- Harmful gender norms about masculinity and femininity
This week, tasked by UNESCO, SAfAIDS is spearheading the development of materials targeted at encouraging community engagement in comprehensive education in support of an enabling environment for young people to access sexual and reproductive health information and services. We have representatives from government education and health ministries, civil society organisations and UN development partners from six countries all in the same room. It's amazing. Here are some highlights:
We have four days to agree on the materials, produce a creative brief and outline the content frameworks. Big task. But that's SAfAIDS for you, we have tools, techniques and a time-tested material development model.
Thank you UNESCO Regional Team for supporting this pioneering meeting and the mentoring/support network that will emerge from the multi-country collaboration. Watch this space. Tomorrow we will start to showcase the country team members whose energy and enthusiasm are making this happen.
T
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