The Ministry of Education on Monday convened a two-day workshop to engage broad stakeholder input in the finalization of a sector policy on HIV/AIDS School, Health and Nutrition (SHN/HIV).

According to a press release the ministry was supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) the Partnership for Child Development (PCD) and Imperial College, London. The workshop sought to produce a sector strategic plan on the policy based on the recently updated situation analysis. A rapid situation analysis of the education sector’s response to HIV/AIDS in Guyana was undertaken between October and November. It was supported by UNESCO, the World Bank and PCD as part of ongoing efforts to support the call of Caricom education ministers for continuing dialogue and action towards accelerating the education sector response to HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean.

The analysis sought to enable the development of a comprehensive SHN/HIV education sector response for incorporation within the forthcoming Guyana Education Sector Strategic Plan 2008-2012. The conduct of the analysis sought to reflect the wishes of the government, the recommendations of previous UNESCO, World Bank and PCD missions and internationally agreed best practice that education sector responses to HIV should be a fundamental component of an integrated and holistic programme of school health and nutrition activities.

The situation analysis also sought to contribute to a stronger presence of the education sector in the government’s multi-sectoral response to HIV/AIDS, as outlined in the Guyana National HIV/AIDS Strategy 2007-2011. In this strategy, the ministry was tasked with the implementation of Health and Family Life Education in the primary and secondary level and developing peer education programmes for youths.

During the situation analysis a wide range of different stakeholders including representatives of education, health, other sectors and civil society, were interviewed about the SHN/HIV activities in Guyana. Additionally, many different data, reports and documents were collected and a mathematical model (Ed-SIDA) constructed in order to estimate the likely future impact of HIV/AIDS on the country’s education sector.

The draft report was presented to the education minister along with the ministry’s senior staff with a presentation of key findings and recommendations in November during the World Bank team’s visit to Guyana.