HIV/AIDS: Central Africa harmonized school curriculum

Sub Saharan Africa remains one of the regions of the world worst hit by the killer disease. Crusades against the lethal ailment have not achieved much as contamination rates continue to soar. Students and youth between 15 and 25 are among the highest infected. Annual screening campaigns targeting them have not also met with satisfactory results.

By Yemti Harry Ndienla

It is within this backdrop that Education ministers and experts from the Central African sub-region recently met in Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital to validate a blueprint for the integration of anti-HIV/AIDS lessons in the school curricula of their various countries.
The Douala meeting that brought together decision-makers also witnessed the endorsement of a declaration of commitment by education ministers of the Economic Commission of African States, ECCAS. Their voiced word of honour implies that before long, synchronised HIV/AIDS courses will be incorporated into their education systems.
The project to synchronise political and pedagogic facets of the document began just over a year ago. It is steered by the Yaounde multi-country office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in collaboration with sub-regional development partners.

The adoption of the working documents bearing recommendations, according to Nourari Tidjani, the assistant director for UNESCO Africa, would ensure responsible behaviour among youths. He said a common strategy was always better than individualised and isolated struggles.
The Douala deliberations witnessed the participation of education ministers from Gabon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic, Chad and of course, Cameroon.

Both Cameroon’s Minister of Basic Education, Haman Adama, and her colleague of Youth Affairs – Adoum Garoua, described the political and pedagogic act as a veritable milestone towards sub-regional integration. She said it opened new avenues for countries in the bloc to build a concerted and efficient riposte against the “scourge of the century,” as well as noted that the implementation of the program will thereafter be fast-tracked.