Children and HIV / AIDS education

Abstract

With the emergence of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Kenya, the number of terminally ill children is increasing. Although HIV/AIDS is associated with death, with improved research and medication these children are expected to live longer than they do today. Some previously HIV positive children have even been reported to have reversed their status to negative. Delayed fatalities from HIV/AIDS will mean a larger and older group of HIV/AIDS children that the society will have to take care of as terminally ill. Since HIV/AIDS children are also likely to be orphaned by one or both parents, the society may need to give more attention to these children. This paper hopes to highlight two issues that need to be given more attention by educators, that is, the education of children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS, especially those that are terminally ill, and the controversial topic of HIV/AIDS education to children. The article also attempts to establish the current measures against the spread of HIV/AIDS and what can be done to strengthen such measures and interventions. The paper contends that there is more educators can do to become more conspicuously involved in the advocacy and spearheading of HIV/AID campaigns. It raises questions that need to be contemplated and debated so as to arrive at more sustainable interventions towards HIV/AIDS.