Leadership (Abuja)
David Apeh
15 November 2007
Abuja — Minister of Education, Chief Igwe Aja Nwachukwu has said that education is the only effective preventive vaccine against HIV/AIDS because it informs, empowers and builds skills.
The minister disclosed this at the federal ministry of education and UNICEF national dissemination meeting and launching of the policies, guidelines and learning material on school health, school feeding and HIV/AIDS education in Nigeria held at Abuja.
He said the high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate has worsened the situation of the school attendance, retention and completion stressing that the current situation of HIV/AIDS epidemic in Nigeria affects adversely the youths between the ages of 15 and 25 years.
He noted that the impact on the educational sector is severe with its attendant negative effect.
This impact, according to the minister, ranges from poor performance of teachers, absenteeism due to sickness, loss of many hours of teaching, decrease in teacher supply and general low quality-performance demand for teachers is therefore in the increase.
"It is in recognition of this noble role that the sector adopted a two pronged approach to curricular strategy through the use of family life HIV/AIDS and co-curricular strategy this is achieve through the use of peer education in order to prevent and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS in the sector.
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