HIV policy to guide teachers and students

WITH Papua New Guinea showing alarming HIV/AIDS statistics, the Department of Education wants to protect students and teachers through the HIV/AIDS Policy for the National Education system 2012-16.
It is conducting consultative workshops nationwide on the recently – launched policy.
At the New Guinea Islands HIV/AIDS 2012-16 implementation plan workshop in Kokopo this week, coordinator Stephanie Nakatt said before the policy was implemented in education institutions in the country, the department had to come up with a national implementation plan.
She said the policy had to be implemented by this year, with respective plans for all the regions drawn up.
She said the Education Department was taking HIV/AIDS seriously and was focusing on preventing the spread of the disease.
Nakatt said the policy had four main sections, prevention for students, care and support for students, prevention, care and support for the education workforce and managing education’s response to HIV/AIDS.
From these four sections, strategies would be developed with activities linked to the four main parts.
She said these activities would be implemented nationally and provincially and the consultation workshops would see education representatives develop their plans.