Bangkok Post - September 23, 2008
Daniel Calderbank

-- Unique course equips educators with special knowledge

Unesco Bangkok has taken the response against the HIV/Aids epidemic into cyberspace with an interactive course that targets the special role educators can play to help stop the spread of the disease.

UN staff and students from Bangkok schools participate in activities at a past World Aids Day event in the capital. F SWAD

The instruction programme gives educators the broad knowledge base needed to help reduce the risk of HIV infection among students.

There were an estimated 2.5 million people worldwide, under 15, living with HIV in 2007, according to recent reports from UNAids and the World Health Organisation.

"The alarming increase in the number of HIV cases constitutes a serious threat to the development of vast regions of the world, and requires mobilisation by all sectors of society," said Koichiro Matsuura, director-general of Unesco.

In Thailand, the number of people under 15 years old who are living with HIV has increased from 10,000 in 2001 to 14,000 in 2007, according to Unaids.

"It has been almost 30 years since the start of the global HIV epidemic, and one of the reasons HIV infection continues is that many people have little access to information about prevention and are still largely unaware of the risks," Unesco Bangkok HIV Preventive Education and School Health officer Rosanne Wong said.

"Accurate education about this communicable disease is therefore essential in order to reduce the number of new HIV infections," Ms Wong added.

"Building Knowledge about HIV and Aids: An Interactive Course for Educators" is an attempt to take teachers into the front line in the response against HIV infection among young people.

The project is the only known e-course on building knowledge about HIV/Aids designed exclusively for educators. Other e-courses have been developed specifically for health care professionals.

Ms Wong said this course will give teachers food for thought on how to teach awareness about HIV/Aids.

"Teachers are in a key position to help prevent infection among young people by transferring crucial knowledge to their students. They have the ability to help young people develop the necessary life skills they need to reduce risky behaviour and to adopt healthy life styles," she said.

Learners should gain an in-depth understanding of the scientific, social, behavioural and health-related aspects of the disease. They should also fully comprehend the links between the factors that continue to drive HIV/Aids, and those influencing the experiences of people living with the disease.

The course content is in English and includes the basic science of HIV/Aids; prevention and risk reduction for young people; the global impact of the disease over 30 years; living positively with HIV; and HIV/Aids education in and beyond the school setting.

Instruction is self-accessible, and contains interactive reflection tasks, learning games and quiz challenges to ensure a comprehensive learning experience.

Learners can study at their own pace and can return at any time to revise topics, or to explore them in more depth using additional Internet resources.

The course concludes with an interactive exercise called "The Final Challenge". Those who achieve a score of 80 percent or higher will be awarded a special Unesco certificate that is issued by the system electronically.

The course is geared toward countries in the Asia-Pacific region and will be translated into various Asia-Pacific languages between 2008 and 2009. Plans are to translate it into Russian, so eventually vast areas of central Asia will have easy access to the learning resource.

The project was launched early this year. The initial feedback has been very positive beyond the target audience it was earmarked for.

StopAids, an HIV organisation focusing on men who have sex with men (MSM), is interested in translating and adapting this course to help in the response against HIV/Aids in Denmark. Project manager Francois Pichon said: "We are using the Unesco course as very good inspiration for our further work in teaching our MSM outreach workers and volunteers basic knowledge on HIV."

The course can be accessed by visiting http://www.unescobkk.org/hivaids . Those without Internet access can request a copy of the CD-ROM by calling the HIV Coordination, Adolescent Reproductive and School Health Unit in Bangkok on 02-391-0577 ext 170. The initiative is funded by the Japanese Funds-In-Trust.

---------------------

Daniel Calderbank works in media and communications at Unesco Bangkok. A former staff member of the 'Bangkok Post', he has worked in radio broadcasting and for national newspapers in the UK, the UAE and Thailand. If you have a comment or would like to discuss issues raised in this article, contact Daniel at d.calderbank@unescobkk.org.

080923
BP080905

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2008. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2008. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .