|
African Universities Responding to HIV/AIDS: A Progress Report |
|
Links to: December 2001 meeting in Nairobi University planning documents
Lecture/SLIDE Presentations
Marion
Fass' Trip Journal, Oct 2002 PHOTOS
|
Kenyatta University October 30, 2002Utali hotel SENCER AIDS program
Notes from lecturers at course planning meeting
Professor Getui- HIV/AIDS Curriculum/syllabus for universitiesProcess is on to make UCU 105 a compulsory course for all students
The challenge: How do we reduce (eradicate) the spread of HIV/AIDS How do we handle those who are infected/affected
One of the key approaches is to create AWARENESS
The curriculum should be geared toward meeting this role/mission thus: No other specific courses or programs on HIV/AISD Need to come up with specific programmes/ courses on HIV/AIDS at all levels- short courses, certificate, diploma, degree, postgraduate Also need some interdisciplinary courses of study HIV/AIDS as a major component in all programs, courses
The research aspect should be highlighted in term papers, projects and theses, and attachments Find deliberate way to get our students (and ourselves) directly involved in HIV/AIDS
The objective should be to equip teachers and learners with knowledge on HIV/AIDS for their own consumption and those they will serve
Inoculate positive attitudes in the society towards those infected/affected
Need to be more positive
Contribute in the search for a cure by engaging in research, by coming up with publications, reports that can be disseminated to all cadres, in all languages
The university is one of the key institutions in spearheading objective/positive response to HIV/aids because it commands the cream of the academy in research and teaching; it is the center of knowledge; it owes to the society and should be given all the support.
Question- attention to people with special needs What is upper limit to infusion about HIV/AIDS in curriculum Lecturers- concern about students- are there mechanisms for help for lecturers in drug use and HIV/AIDS In curriculum, area of health is possible- if Kenyatta is holistic, infusions of exercise Female condoms not available at university.
HIV/AIDS and the church- Rev O Ongombe Church has come a long way Ð started with holier than thou- hiv was diseases for sinners Ð some churches failed to offer prayers for families of dead
Soon church leadership realized that Hiv could affect even the clergy Church realized its role in helping curb
2 views of sex education 1) prepare young people to enjoy sex within marriage 2) sex education and use of contraceptions
How can one reconcile the moral assumptions under these 2?
address epidemic by addressing the humanity and morality of individual
character and values
church wants to treat epidemic on its own terms- without other people's strategies
threat of hiv/aids requires that church propose strategies
hiv/aids has exposed risky behavior that we have not been willing to confront exposes silence and indifference of church
why had god allowed HIV aids
god is not to blame malaria kills but we know mosquito is issue in HIV/AIDS sexual behavior is critical issue- must focus on sexuality church believes that humans have a will to control, church has perspective on how to manage morality
reverend says 30% failure rate for young people church believes that encourages indiscriminate use of condoms is bad for young people condoms do not prevent heartbreak-
church play role of parents in promoting morality, abstinence multiple approaches |
40 + languages in Kenya
home languages colonial term was 'vernacular' negative connotations
not a language of a dominating group-
2 types of linguistic communication- ordinary and technical
hard in ordinary because terms and concepts are not coming from places with African equivalent
virus- virusi
sex- ngono (kujunan kimwili)
in technical communications, there are problems in that the terms aren't there
cultural meanings arise from the socio-cultural environment of the source language when it differs from tat of the recipient language. For instance, although the following are commonly used terms, they derive their meanings and connotations from a non African culture and so they are not easily translatable into Kiswahili
condom is a big problem in kiswhahili
Classroom strategy is to infuse with textual material about hiv/aids
creative writing, drama, etc- create plays, puppets, newspaper stories
in conjunction with creative and performing arts-
even gender and language
attack embedded cultural ideas by analyzing language
Department is ready and well equipped to collaborate on issues of HIV/AIDS
Impact of HIV/AIDS to university community- Prof Achola- educational research and sociology
Prevalence of HIV/AIDS Urban Kenya higher than rural- 9-11 % in 1990
to 16-17% in 1999
800,000 cases in 1990- 1.5 million in 2005
inpatient care increase fro 1990 to 2010 projected Ð 700%
production loss high in agricultural sector
loss in working hours
men do not accept responsibility for problem- blame wife for bringing in disease
Mr. Baraza Benard- student
representative
In early 80s HIV was disease of others and of Ungandans- first case in 1984
Death of teachers and pupils
Reduces number of teachers
Reduction of incomes of each and every household
Intensive and extensive orientation program of freshers
Door to door visits- clients- introduce selves professionally
Public talks talk shows and debates
HIV/AIDS quizzes
Advocate for ABCs of safer sex
Use of videos, pamphlets, posters, handouts
Outreach to the community
'All of these things are failing'
Student strategies for integrating HIV/AIDS into the curriculum
mathematics- reading graphs and charts
molecular biology
English and other languages- language of persuasion, composition, drama, novels, folk tales, health and social order, medical thrillers
Religious education- ethics, social responsibilitiy, lifestyle
History- plagues, microbes and morals, oral histories of courtship and family life
Social studies- hiv aids and the law, public policies
Arts-songs, music, dance, health revolution, dance and body politics
Not only as health problem but social problem with impact of all sectors of life including education
Establish resource centers
Potential of wiping out human race
Whenever we go to class and teach, take time to talk about HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS situation at KU is changing
More than 450 inquiries, only 88 came for testing, 21 were positive!!
The Faculty of Education has a required HIV/AIDS undergraduate program, not just HIV but also drug abuse
Compulsory unit for all students in home economics and education
35 hour course Ð 1 unit
introduction to HIV/AIDS- 6 hours
meaning of HIV/AIDS and STIs
relationships between HIV/AIDS and STIs
origin/ classificualtion of HIV and the nature of HIV and infection
clinical stages of HIV/AIDS
Current status and factors contributing to HIV/AIDS
Global, African, national and regional
Factors for the spread- myth of sexuality, poverty, urbanization, gender, etc)
Strategies to control spread
Dymystifying
Management of self
Personality development and self esteem
Prevention,
Use of condoms
Policy and law
Adolescent development and HIV
Sexuality
Deviant behavior, strategies to control and manage deviance
Drug abuse and abuse
Management of victims of HIV/AIDS
Treatment, counseling, community based organizations
Social economic and political impacts of HIV/AIDS 4 hours
Performance and education
Music history and composition
African music and ethnomusiocology
Mission: Discipline, profession, activity
Objective: Promote training and performance of music, and sensitize populace not only on the role of music but other issues
Only students who do HIV/AIDS education are B.Ed.
Context- how to deliver info about HIV/AIDS in music?
Attitude- ignorance, stereotype, over-sensitivity
How to get students to attend to this material
Place of music within society
Valuable commodity to which all attend
Used as acceptable mode of communicating even undesirable information
Role of reflecting/expressing the societyÕs experiences
Addresses a wide range of issues- biology, history, physics, etc
Focus on HIV/AIDS as a human phenomenon, just like music
Attend to HIV/AIDS as one of those factors affecting the development and practice of music
Start with sound rationale for having HIV/AIDS in curriculum, then apply the same to music
MUSIC IS A MULTIDIENSIONAL PHENOMENON THAT HAS BEEN USED EFFECTLY TO AFFECT CHANGE IN ALL SPHERES OF LIFE. SHOULD BE USED AT KENYATTA
1) physics is a tool for investigation- can apply physics to
weakening of body cells and
decay- is there a way of teaching rate of decay and rate of decay in HIV/AIDS as half-life?
Exponential decay, changes in weight
Quantities, electron microscopy
Mechanical behavior, must use physics to predict use of condoms
2) use physics for an explanatory tool for stages of HIV
3) monitoring of hiv spread
a. monitoring viral load- density of virus
Relationship between HIV/AIDS and nutrition
Globally, the effect of hiv ahs been dramatic individual health and family welfare decline, threat to cohesion
Nutrition is a complementary discipline to medicine in the care and managementn of HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS person is at risk for poor nutrition
Reduced food intake
Poor absorption
Chronic infection and illness
Changes in metabolism
Required
Consumption of macronutrients and micronutrients
Good hygiene
Rationale for designing a HIV/AIDS and nutrition course
Insufficient knowledge of nutrition inhibits effective prevention programs
Lack of appropriate skills for caring for the affected and infected
Lack of networking with other partners dealing with HIV/AIDS pandemic
Content should reflect the prevailing concerns and needs of society
Issues
Social economic
Gender, age and race
Cultural perspective
Biblical perspective
Units
Intro to foods and nutrition
HIV/AIDS disease progression and nutrition
Assessment of nutritional status
Food security and HIV/AIDS
Food safety and hygiene
Alternative therapies
Food management for PLWA
Breastfeeding and MTCT
Nutrition care and support
Attachment/ field trips
Dr Orago- CCMB Center for Complementary Medicine and Biotechnology
Started when HIV/AIDS declared national emergency to provide information for teachers
Now client and donor driven
By end of year, will be Institute for Health Sciences
Stakeholders training programmes for control and management of HIV/AIDS
600 new cases with 700 deaths
65% of new cases in the youth aged between 15-24 Òage group that should be determining the destiny of this nationÓ
we have discovered that this is more than just a health issue- from 1999, need for multisectoral and multidisciplinary approaches
certificate courses, diploma courses, postgraduate courses
accurate information
effects and impact on HIV/AIDS on individual, family and society
trainers of trainers
develop skills in proposal writing and researchers
guiding strategy
risk, vulnerability and impact through multisectoral approach
decreasing risk of infection
decreasing vulnerability
decreasing the impact of the epidemic decreases vulnerability to HIV/AIDS
ways of reducing the risk of infection
postponing first sexual intercourse
safer sexual practices
preventing MTCT
Reducing vulnerability with focus on protecting youth
Positive relations with trusted adults
Peer relations that model safer behaviors
Participation in family, religious and community
Supportive legal and social norms
Reduction of gender and economic disparities that fuel the epidemic
Greater equity in education, voc training and employment
Attention to policies or programs which have the effect of perpetuating HIV within particular communities
Provide access to services
Life-skills based HIV/AIDS education
Now awareness devoid of quality of information-
Target high quality information
Reducing the impact on individuals and families
National action to reduce impact
Sound economic development programs
Strengthen national AIDS programs
Appropriate allocation of national resources to cover prevention, care and impact reduction activities
Agreement to focus part of debt relief proceeds on high prevalence communities
Community action to reduce impact
Education as social vaccine