AIDS is among the key factors exerting pressure on education systems, particularly in countries in transition and least developed countries, as well as on the ability of learners to access and complete education. Education – especially education on prevention – contributes toward the knowledge and skills essential for the prevention of HIV and protects individuals, families, communities, institutions and nations from the impact of AIDS. Education also helps to overcome the conditions that facilitate the spread of HIV, including poverty, ill-health, gender inequality, violence and abuse, particularly against girls and women. Beyond this, education can create the conditions of understanding, respect and tolerance – all of which contribute to reduced stigma and discrimination against vulnerable and marginalised communities and people living with HIV. (UNESCO's Strategy for Responding to HIV and AIDS)
The UNESCO HIV and AIDS Education Clearinghouse is a collaboration of the UNESCO International Bureau of Education (IBE), the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), the UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, the UNESCO Dakar Regional Office for Education in Africa, the UNESCO Harare Cluster Office, the UNESCO Nairobi Regional Office for Science and Technology in Africa, and the UNESCO Santiago Regional Office of Education for Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Clearinghouse supports education professionals, ministries of education, development agencies, civil society, researchers and other partners by providing a comprehensive knowledge base and information exchange service for the development of HIV and AIDS policies, programmes and advocacy within the education sector.
The UNESCO HIV and AIDS Education Clearinghouse provides:
- a trilingual (English, French and Spanish) website and database
- a virtual library, updated monthly, currently containing over 4,000 references
- alerts to scientific journal articles
- a calendar of HIV and AIDS-related events
- electronic newsletter subscriptions
- a listserv for HIV and AIDS professionals (Asia Pacific region)
- enquiry and literature search services
The UNESCO HIV and AIDS Education Clearinghouse receives financial support from UNAIDS and the Asian Development Bank.
