By Albertina Nakale
WINDHOEK – The Head of the HIV/AIDS Management Unit (HAMU) in the Ministry of Education says HIV/AIDS issues are being “pushed under the carpet and nobody wants to talk about it,” unlike in the past when HIV/AIDS dominated public discussions.
HAMU’s mandate is to reduce the HIV prevalence rate in the education sector and mitigate its impact. Speaking to New Era last Wednesday, Felicity Haingura who is the deputy director and head of HAMU expressed her disappointment with senior officials, saying they do not feature HIV/AIDS topics in their speeches.
“It is considered a private health matter. But it’s not a private matter – it is a social issue that we should address collectively. The education ministry should positively respond to HIV and AIDS. Leadership and management commitment is not 100 percent – HIV/AIDS is mostly at the bottom of the priority list,” she said. Haingura added that most of the time speeches delivered by senior officials are about academic achievements but do not feature how HIV/AIDS affects both learners and teachers.
“If teachers or learners are not healthy, or learners come from homes whose parents or guardians are not well then their academic performance will not be realised,” she said. Haingura noted HAMU is underfunded and also under-staffed to respond to all the health issues related to all levels of education. She said HAMU ‘s structure is a serious concern, because it has only two professionals and one support staff member. She said having one staff member in a region to oversee the implementation of HIV/AIDS at regional level is “not good enough, thus there should be more staff appointed per region”.
Regarding the budget allocation, she said: “The budget allocated to HIV and AIDS is very minimal. It’s a small amount that must be shared countrywide. For all its activities HAMU is allocated N$6.5 million on a yearly basis, which is not enough. HIV and AIDS is a programme that should cut cross all levels of the education sector. So it needs serious attention from senior management,” Haingura complained. Another issue she raised was lack of transport and funds that hamper the implementation of HIV and AIDS activities.
anakale@newera.com.na