Strengthening HIV/ AIDS Programmes in Higher and Tertiary Education Sector in Zimbabwe -

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Strengthening HIV/ AIDS Programmes in Higher and Tertiary Education Sector in Zimbabwe

In 2005, UK’s Department for International Development (DFID)made available to UNESCO a grant to support strengthening of the Zimbabwe HIV and AIDS Response Programme.

The problem of HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe
Based upon UNAIDS 2004 Report on the global AIDS epidemic, 1.8 million people aged bellow 50, were living with HIV in Zimbabwe, in 2003. In the same year 170 000 people died of AIDS, that is almost 3300 people per week. Despite the introduction of a National AIDS Trust Fund with resources from a 3% income tax levy, domestic funding for HIV/AIDS remains inadequate.

UK’s Department for International Development (DFID)’s assistance through UNESCO
In 2005, DFID made available to UNESCO a grant to support strengthening of the Zimbabwe HIV and AIDS Response Programme. The project commenced in April 2005 and will end in June 2008.

The grant covers three components:
1. Recruitment of a HIV/AIDS Manager for HIV/AIDS in Higher and Tertiary Institutions;
2. Recruitment of a secretary;
3. Establishment of a UNESCO Chair on HIV/AIDS and Education at the University of Zimbabwe.

The main objectives of the project are to:
Support higher and tertiary education institutes in their endeavor to curb the challenges posed by the HIV and AIDS by:

Establishing a functional and capacitated system for coordination, monitoring and evaluation for HIV/AIDS programmes in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education;

Assisting the ministry in expanding its policy on HIV/AIDS;

Establishing sound workplace programmes in the ministry and all its institutions;

Establishing mechanisms to ensure the availability of regular data of the impact of HIV and AIDS on the Higher and Tertiary Education system;

Building capacity for the design and delivery of comprehensive HIV/ AIDS programmes;

Assisting the ministry in establishing a UNESCO chair on HIV and AIDS at the university of Zimbabwe;

Assisting the ministry in identifying; documenting and disseminating promising practices in the area of higher and tertiary education.

Updated:02-12-2008 12:42 pm