School Health and HIV Prevention Messages

Abstract

School Health and HIV Prevention Messages Handbook is designed to consolidate and simplify existing materials in the delivery of school health talks, menstrual hygiene management (MHM) training and life skills sessions to keep adolescents in school, safe and successful. This facilitator guide has been developed to support facilitators of school health talks, MHM training and related MDD school based competitions and teachers in conducting sessions and designing effective supplementary activities. The facilitator guide provides guidance on overall approach in conducting the sessions, as well as on specific methods, activities and further reading that the facilitator or teacher may engage learners with on each of the topics under the four thematic areas:- Approach to Conducting the Sessions: School health conferences, MHM training and school based MDD and debates sessions are intended to catalyze, but not replace, ongoing Ministry of Education and Sports and partners’ HIV and school health programmes and interventions. Accordingly, the planning and conducting of these sessions shall endeavor to work with and revitalize such interventions in the schools. The facilitators should note that they will not have adequate time during school health talks, MHM training or MDD and debates sessions to comprehensively go through all the topics included in the learners’ handbook. It is therefore necessary to have an effective strategy to ensure that existing structures and programmes in the schools are utilized to reinforce the messages and ensure sustainability of the interventions. Leveraging School Structures and Programmes: Ministry of Education and Sports and partners have overtime trained SWT/SMT and Head Teachers on PIASCY (School Family Initiative) implementation and other programmes, including Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and MHM training under Safe and Supportive Schools programme. In a school where any of these programmes exist, the facilitator should explore the possibility of utilizing it to deliver the sessions and sustain the programme. Learners’ clubs like health clubs, girls’ education clubs and the Young Adolescents Peer Support (YAPS) model, where they exist, should be leveraged to support effective delivery of these messages. The Facilitator should ensure that the Head Teacher and the SWT/SMT, as well as the other teachers, are fully involved in the planning, conducting and follow up of the sessions. Where possible, the community should participate.