Zimbabwean Teachers At High Risk of HIV Infection, Report Says
Zimbabwean teachers responsible for counseling students about HIV/AIDS prevention are no more knowledgeable than other Zimbabwean adults about avoiding infection, according to a study conducted by a state-appointed education assessment team, AP/New Zimbabwe.com reports. Teachers in the country are at high risk of contracting HIV and one-third are likely to be living with the virus, the report found. "There seemed to be an assumption that the teachers are so knowledgeable about HIV and its transmission that they are willing to talk about it with their students, and that all teachers will make acceptable counselors and mentors," Josiah Mahlangu, UNESCO national commissioner in Zimbabwe, said (AP/New Zimbabwe.com, 8/9). He added, "Teachers are a key resource in responding to HIV/AIDS in the education sector and need to be trained and equipped to maximize the impact of education on the epidemic along the prevention-to-care continuum." The report was presented during a workshop hosted by UNESCO and the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education to examine the HIV/AIDS syllabus for teachers' colleges and increase teachers' ability to deal with post-test counseling services (Xinhua/People's Daily Online, 8/9).
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