Benson Kathuri
26 December 2004
Nairobi — An estimated 27,000 teachers will die from HIV-related illness in the next five years.
Over the same period, the scourge will also leave 2.2 million orphaned children, most of whom will not attend school.
Two top researchers warn that if urgent interventions are not developed, the epidemic may disrupt free primary education.
"Even with the free primary education policy in place, many HIV/Aids orphans are still out of school and continue to drop out," says Paul Odundo and Wassuna Owino.
Odundo, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi, says although the impact would be felt countrywide, Nyanza Province would be the worst hit.
By last year, the province was leading with 310,000 people affected, followed by Rift Valley and Nairobi provinces with 180,000 and 130,000 people respectively.
In a joint study the two say that HIV/Aids-related absenteeism in primary schools was now a serious problem affecting the quality of education.
"Increased takes the form of absenteeism, sick teachers taking time off, while others attend funerals or care for their sick or dying relatives and close friends," they say.
The researchers say education can play a crucial role in creating and maintaining awareness on the scourge.
Teachers and education policymakers, they say should take advantage of the opportunity and enhance HIV/Aids content in the school curriculum.
They should also build capacity among teachers to enhance their ability to effectively transmit HIV/Aids-related messages in the curriculum.
Teachers, they say, should also develop guidance and counselling services in schools.
However, they call upon the government to support all infected and affected teachers.
The government should also provide adequate training and guidance in life skills curricula and access to counselling if the teachers are worried about their health.
Odundo and Owino say the government should help the teachers cope with the trauma of working with pupils under difficult situations.
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