HIV/AIDS Hindering Angola’s Efforts To Eradicate Illiteracy, Education Official Says

The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Angola is hindering the country's efforts to implement a program aimed at eradicating illiteracy by 2015, Deputy Education Minister Pinda Simao said Tuesday during a talk that was part of the International Week on Education for All, the APA/AllAfrica.com reports.

Simao said that many teachers who were participating in training programs for educational reform or who had completed such training have died from AIDS-related causes. These deaths have led to the need to recruit and train new teachers, which is delaying efforts to reform the country's educational system, he said.

The Ministry of Education drafted a plan for 2002 through 2008 that aimed to address the situation by increasing the number of teachers in the country, which resulted in a 120% increase in the number of teachers. Simao said the plan "included aspects related to" HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, and training on HIV/AIDS for teachers (APA/AllAfrica.com, 4/22).