The National Vision on HIV Prevention for children and young people

1. The National Vision on HIV Prevention for children and young people Prepared by UNAIDS Mozambique HIV Prevention - Joint UN Meeting 22 September 2005, Hotel Avenida

2. Outline of Presentation • Provide an overview of the national vision on HIV prevention for children and young people based on an analysis of the following key strategy documents: • PEN II • Government 5-year Programme • Draft PARPA II (HIV/AIDS section) • Sectoral plan Education • Sectoral plan Youth

3. Essential programmatic action for HIV prevention • Behavioral Change Communication (mass media, community outreach) • Focus on HIV prevention among young people • Information and Education • Condom distribution • Promote greater access to VCT • PMTCT • STI Diagnosis • Enabling environment • Confront and mitigate HIV related stigma and discrimination • Advocacy initiatives – to increase awareness, mobilize resources and increase political commitment • Workplace policies and programmes

4. CNCS PEN II 2005/9 • Covers 7 areas, namely: • Prevention • Advocacy • Stigma and discrimination • Treatment • Mitigation • Research and investigation • Coordination of the national response

5. PEN II - Prevention • Overall objective: “Reduce the number of new infections from the current level of 500 per day to 350 within 5 years and to 150 within 10 years” • Under this overall objective, the plan elucidates 9 specific objectives. All of them are relevant to children and youth: • Reduce the # of HIV infections particularly in the 15-24 age group • Enhance general level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS and reduce the gender differential • Popularise VCT • Increase the rates of contraceptive use • Increase the % of STI patients and their partners treated • Promote Youth SRH • Reduce women’s vulnerability to infection due to social, cultural and economic reasons • Reduce mother-to-child transmissions of HIV • Reduce non-sexual transmission of HIV

6. PEN II - Prevention • Each Objective has several strategies. The key strategies related to children and young people include: • Carryout IEC activities targeting populations using adapted messages and local languages; community radios and interpersonal communication. • Intensify sexual education programmes for children in schools particularly adolescents (10-19 years) • Introduce/reinforce STI and HIV/AIDS component in sexual educationmaterials/ curriculum in schools and out-of-schools. • Expand teachers programs and other projects that address extra-curriculum activities to combat HIV/AIDS at all levels of the national education system (e.g. Geracao Biz). • Improve acceptance and distribution of contraceptives and promote use of female contraceptive.

7. PEN II - Prevention • Expand network of VCT and YFHS, redress imbalances in national coverage of VCT services. • Promote sensitisation campaigns to enhance awareness regarding the vulnerability of children and break prejudices associated with the status of women. • Strengthen the legal instruments to combat sexual and domestic violence. • Promote youth activism in the area of HIV/AIDS. • Support plans of MEC and MJD in particular the activities that aim at reducing the gender gap.

8. Government 5-Year Programme • Same Overall objective as that of the PEN II: “Reduce the number of new infections from the current level of 500 per day to 350 within 5 years and to 150 within 10 years” • Prioritises some of the strategies reflected in PEN II. • Those relevant to prevention for children and young people include: • IEC – adapt message to target populations and use local language • IEC – specifically for highly vulnerable groups, areas of rural/urban conflict • Introduction of HIV/AIDS related content in education materials at all levels of national education system • Organisation of extracurricular activities to combat HIV/AIDS at all levels of education system • Improve distribution of condoms and promote use of female condoms • Expand network of VCT centres and YFHS • Expand and consolidate programmes such as “Geração Biz” e “ Meu Futuro é Minha Escolha” in the framework of PEN II operational plan

9. PARPA II - Prevention • The PARPA clearly elucidates 3 objectives/results to be achieved by the end of 2009 for the area of prevention namely: • Prevention of mother-to-child-transmissions (70% of HIV positive pregnant women and neonates receive prophylaxis for the prevention of vertical transmission of HIV). • Expanding network of YFHS (350,000 young people (10-24) attend YFHS). • Improve contraceptive use: (60% of young people (15-24) that are sexually active report using a condom the last time they had sex with a non-marital, non-cohabiting partner)

10. Education Strategic Plan 2005/09 (ESSP II) • Consists of 9 strategic priorities in the area of HIV and AIDS. Those that are relevant to children and young people include: • Reinforce sectoral capacity for development of an effective response to the epidemic at all levels • Improve planning process to adequately address the impact of HIV/AIDS • Develop interventions to strengthen knowledge and foster behavioural change • Identify and develop mechanisms to address the drivers that cause the spread of HIV/AIDS • Address stigma and discrimination of those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS • Put in place measures (substitute teachers) to address the impact of AIDS on teachers (illness, absenteeism, death) • Ensure OVCs have access to education and other services

11. Education Strategic Plan to combat HIV/AIDS 2003/05 • Overall Objective: Educate the school community and managers in the area of SRH to prevent and reduce the incidence of STD/HIV/AIDS; and minimise the social impact of the epidemic among affected people in the national education system in Mozambique. • Consists of 4 Strategic Areas:HIV/AIDS workplace policy; education; creation of a conducive environment; involvement of MEC in national response • Total of 16 Objectives: Most relevant to children and young people include: • Inclusion of SRH, STI, HIV/AIDS into the school curriculum • Build capacity of teachers to impart knowledge in primary schools • Develop Life Skills in schools • Develop a communication strategy targeting children and young people with particular emphasis on gender • Establish a referral system between social and health services • Some of the other objectives are relevant but in a broader sensee.g: establish legal & institutional framework, sensitisation of management, creation M&E system

12. Youth and Sports HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan 2000/2 (POSIDA) • Consists of 3 strategies: implementation of a package of essential activities; address the socio-cultural and political opportunities and obstacles; and developing HIV competencies in the youth sector. • Total of 4 Strategic objectives. All of them are directly relevant to young people: • Improve access of out-of-school young people to social and health services (VCT, access to condoms, prevention and treatment of STIs, and prevention HIV/AIDS. • Ensure and facilitate empowerment of out-of-school young people through dissemination of information and life skills related SRH. • Create an enabling environment to enable behavioural change among out-of-school young people (policies and legal framework, youth centres) • Strengthen the institutional capacity of MJD (capacity to mainstream HIV/AIDS and gender into policies and programmes; involvement of young people and PLWHA in programming)

13. Women and Social Action HIV/AIDS Sectoral Plan 2006-7 • Consists of 7 strategic principles namely: • Promoting a human rights approach; • Respect for gender equity and social justice; • Participation of young people and PLWHA; and • Implementation of a communication strategy. • Consists of 6 General objectives. Most relevant to children and young people is Objective 1 – Prevention: reduction of new HIV infections in the general population and in particular in the age group 215-24 • Specific strategies to achieve this objective including: • Develop IEC to reduce sexual partners • Improve distribution of condom particularly female condoms • Develop knowledge and access to legal instruments to combat sexual and domestic violence

14. In Summary of main issues reflected in allkey policy documents: • Develop interventions to strengthen knowledge and foster behavioural change - IEC activities • Develop a communication strategy targeting children and young people with particular emphasis on gender • STI, HIV/AIDS component in sexual education in schools and out-of-schools • Improve acceptance and distribution of contraceptives • Expand network of VCT and YFHS • Develop Life Skills in schools • Strengthen legal instruments to combat sexual and domestic violence • Address stigma and discrimination of those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS (societal and structural factors which fuel the epidemic) • Promote sensitisation campaigns to enhance awareness regarding the vulnerability of children and break prejudices associated with the status of women. • Ensure OVCs have access to education and other services • Strengthen the institutional capacity (including sensitisation of management, creation M&E system)

15. Is it Adequate for intensifying HIV Prevention? Essential Policy Actions for HIV Prevention • Build and maintain leadership from all sections of society, including governments, affected communities, nongovernmental organizations, faith-based organizations, the education sector, media, the private sector and trade unions. • Calls for the involvement of youth and people living with HIV and acknowledging their significant contribution to HIV prevention. • Address cultural norms and beliefs, recognizing both the key role they may play in supporting prevention efforts and the potential they have to fuel HIV transmission.

16. Is it Adequate for intensifying HIV Prevention? • Address gender norms and relations to reduce the vulnerability of women and girls. • Promote widespread knowledge and awareness of how HIV is transmitted and how infection can be averted. • Promote the links between HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health. • Support the mobilization of community-based responses • Underscores the importance of strengthening human and institutional capacity • Review and revise legal frameworks.

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