“However, the performance of teachers in delivering the Family Line and HIV Education in schools has been faced with many challenges, especially as it regards trained personnel to effectively deliver the information in classrooms,” she said.
Hajiya Sambo noted that many teachers therefore lack the capacity to pass across appropriate adolescent reproductive health, tuberculosis and anti-malaria information to students.
It will also work to update participants and communities’ knowledge on HIV/AIDs and Reproductive Health, promote the sustainability of School and Community Health Clubs or Associations for positive behaviour change and strengthen the capacity of Health Care Providers and Givers in the delivery of the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV services.
Wednesday, 4 December 2013
The wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Amina Sambo, has advocated for proper basic health education on reproductive health be pursued among young people to reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Kaduna state.
Hajiya Sambo, speaking at the launching of the I Care Women and Youth Initiative intervention named Family line HIV Education, Elimination of Mother to Child HIV Transmission, Tuberculosis and Malaria Prevention, in Kaduna, noted that a lack of awareness has contributed to the rise of the scourge.
She said the need for awareness,informed the decision to introduce the Family Line and HIV Education in the schools curricula at all levels, which has provided young people with knowledge, positive attitudes and skills to foster behavioural change and thus, reduce their vulnerability to HIV and AIDS.
She cited what she described as a ‘frightening statistics’ from the Federal Ministry of health which put the state’s HIV Prevalence rate at 5.6 per cent, which is the highest in the North West geo-political zone.
She cited national research which noted that only about 45 per cent of teachers have heard of Family Line and HIV Education curriculum, while only 22 per cent have ever seen a copy of it.
The I Care Women and Youth Initiative founded in 2007 is therefore intervening in the state with the engagement of 40 teachers equipped to deal with topics related to the Family Line and HIV Education, reproductive health, tuberculosis and anti-malaria.
The NGO has also committed to enhance the capacity of school teachers for effective classroom delivery of contents and topics related to the subject matter, and build the skills of teachers, student and the community for participatory communication.
The training was organised for teachers from upper primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in Kaduna state.
