Ministry of Education Promotes HIV Knowledge Among Students
Mr. Joel Kamoko, the Education Permanent Secretary in charge of Education Services, has urged students in Zambian schools to prioritize acquiring knowledge about HIV to reduce infections and lead healthier lives.
Speaking at a meeting between donors and FutureLife-Now in Lusaka on Tuesday, Mr. Kamoko emphasized the importance of early education on HIV to empower youths with the information needed to make informed choices and combat stigma.
The meeting, officiated by Mr. Kamoko, aimed to strengthen the partnership between donors and FutureLife-Now, a Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) program endorsed by the region’s 16 Ministries of Education.
The initiative focuses on enhancing the education sector’s response to HIV and comprehensive sexual education (CSE), fostering improved connections between schools and health service providers.
FutureLife-Now, supported by the SADC NGO MIET Africa and funded by SWIS Agency for Development Cooperation, has been instrumental in piloting its program in Zambia.
During the pilot phase, 10 secondary schools in the provinces of Lusaka and Central, from September 2019 to June 2023, were actively involved.
Mr. Kamoko expressed gratitude to the donors for their support in implementing the program, emphasizing its overarching goal of reducing new HIV infections and enhancing Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) adherence among adolescents and young people aged between 15 to 24 in the SADC region.
“As a Ministry, we are grateful to our donors for supporting the program, whose overall goal is to reduce the number of new HIV infections and improve Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) adherence among adolescents and young people aged between 15 – 24 in the SADC region,” said Mr. Kamoko.
