HIV/AIDS as a Social and Medical Problem - Coursework Example

RUNNING HEAD: HIV/AIDS AS A MORAL AND MEDICAL PROBLEM WITH REFERENCE TO EFA INSERT NAME COURSE INSTITUTION INSTRUCTOR DATE Introduction Education has been identified by experts as the most basic social tool that will lead to the improvement of living standards across the world. Towards this objective, international agencies and bodies established an international platform known as Education for All (EFA) to ensure that basic education was delivered to every society and the subsequent benefit for the society’s members. EFA is a program that was conducted within various nations with the assistance of international donors and agencies which directly cooperated with the internal administration. The program was established in 1990 and had a time limit of 2015 where its objectives would have been achieved. However, due to the slow process in the adoption of the programs policies, several meetings were conferred to re-assure the members of achieving the pre-determined objectives (Baker & Wiseman 2007). Objectives of EFA The program’s objectives were identified as expanding basic education infrastructure and improving on the quality of education provided to children. This was aimed at ensuring access to education for the most marginalised within the community. Secondly, the program was to ensure complete access to education by the ethnic minorities and especially the female child through offering free basic education. Although basic education is free, quality has to be maintained and improved over time. The third objective addressed the fairness and equality aspect of the adopted education system. Educational needs of the entire population had to be met irrespective of personal, physical or cultural differences. Access to education had to be ensured for all and the learning objectives of each student had to be achieved. These objectives were to be achieved through effective learning programs where students could acquire knowledge and capabilities to improve their livelihoods and contribute to the society. Fourthly, the program targeted to increase literacy levels by 50 per cent by the end of 2015 and improving educational access for adult learners. EFA’s fifth objective aimed at ensuring equitable access to education through the identification and abolishment of gender based barriers. Children from both genders were to equitably access educational facilities and resources by the end of the program. The last objective aimed at improving the quality of the overall education system where learning outcomes were to be established and measured to review on the achievements of the individual learners (Unesco 2007). The EFA complement the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) which heavily rely on the increased knowledge and capacities of individuals towards achieving the preset objectives. The MDG’s strive towards at reducing global poverty levels and increasing access to basic social utilities and amenities. In achieving the MDG’s, EFA assists in ensuring adequate access to education resources which have a direct impact on the learners. Substantial gains have been made by implementing the EFA although numerous challenges still exist resulting to the inability of fully achieving the program’s objectives. The gains include increased access to basic education as well as literacy levels across nations. On the other hand, financial and physical barriers as well as HIV/AIDS have proved to be quite a challenge for the program to fully achieve its objectives (Niekerk & Kopelman 2005). HIV/AIDS as a Social Problem HIV/AIDS is both a social and medical problem although most educationists do not realise the direct negative impact it has on education. According to the educational researchers, HIV/AIDS does not have a major influence on the quality and access of education and thus should be considered as a secondary factor in educational improvement issues. On the contrary, HIV/AIDS is a major factor to be considered when improving the quality and access of education in less developed nations and especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Quality education acts as a bridge where issues taught in classrooms are directly related to the social environment (Mishra 2005). Students should be able to utilise and apply their acquired knowledge in the society in an effort to improve the society they live in. In a report prepared by UNESCO 2000, HIV/AIDS was identified as a barrier towards improving the accessibility and quality of education. In their study, UNESCO identified that children affected by the pandemic were exposed to a higher risk compared to children who are free from the virus. These children face stigmatization within the community as well as fear by other community members (Unesco 2000). Recommendations made by this report indicate that individuals suffering from the disease had to be located and made visible within the community. Identification of these individuals was to be conducted through using poverty level indicators which is a constant predictor. Due to seclusion from the society, individuals suffering from the disease live in poverty as they are unable to engage fully in income generating activities. Having been identified, these individuals were to be provided with basic education on how to take care of their bodies and thus reduce the impact of the disease on their health. Stigmatization within the society results to the rapid increase and spread of the endemic thus imposing continuous educational barriers. HIV/AIDS as a social problem is often viewed as a morality issue where individuals with loose morals are bound to acquire the infection. To an extent this argument is true since morals are put in place to guide individuals on their actions and assume responsibility for those actions. Society members should be provided with more information on the importance of values towards the attainment of life skills (Foster et al 2005). Through sufficient education, individual morals are reinforced hence giving them a sense of direction and in the least an expected outcome for their actions. With improved educational facilities, members of the society are informed on the presence of the disease. Its symptoms, treatment and spread are taught to the members and thus they gain full understanding on the disease. However, since suffering members of the community face stigmatization, they are not able to access educational facilities and learn on how to take care of their bodies (Satpathy 2003). This places both the infected and the uninfected at risk since they have no knowledge on how to handle themselves or how to avoid contracting the disease. Morality is acquired through social education where in some communities open discussion of HIV/AIDS is considered a taboo. This makes it ultimately difficult for children to realise the presence of the disease or how it can be avoided. Through improved access to education, children and adults alike will be able to address the HIV/AIDS pandemic thus minimising the barrier is places towards the achievement of the EFA objectives. HIV/AIDS as a Medical Problem HIV/AIDS can also be identified as a medical problem as evidenced by the lack of a cure for the disease. Children suffering from AIDS constantly face exclusion from the society thus making it impossible for them to equitably access educational facilities together with other children. HIV directly affects the effectiveness of education in achieving its objectives and also through education can the disease be exterminated from the society (Moore & Forst 1996). Only through education will society members recognise the needs of children already suffering from the disease and thus incorporating their needs in the school learning program to ensure equitable access to education for all. Children are impacted in several ways by the HIV/AIDS endemic which include caring after their sick parents and siblings. Children whose parents pass on after ailing from AIDS move to other areas where they can access help from relatives or social organizations. Carers in these organizations have their needs which assist them in fully taking care of the children under their care. Through education, children are able to understand these needs and therefore create a friendlier learning environment for children who suffer from AIDS. HIV/AIDS directly affects the demand, supply and quality aspects of education. The supply aspect involves the reduction in the number of teachers available in a particular institution and frequent absenteeism. As this reduction continues, the student to teacher ratio continues to increase tremendously where more than fifty students are taught by a single teacher. The EFA objectives aim at improving the quality of education provided to learners thus the significant increase in knowledge and capabilities. Therefore such high numbers of students per teacher will reduce the effectiveness of learning where the teacher is bound to identify the learning needs of every learner. The impact on the demand for education is evident in the reduction in the number of learners required to access education. Children are the most affected in that they have to assist their parents in searching for food as well as caring for them. Their parent’s healthcare becomes more prioritised than education and thus they forfeit educational demands. Lastly, the quality of education is affected where frequent education interruptions are witnessed thus making it impossible for the children to learn with certainty (Rao 2003). Fewer numbers of teachers to facilitate learning inhibits education thus affecting its quality. HIV/AIDS drastically reduces the number of school going children and thus restricting the achievement of the EFA objectives. Through education, medical researchers will be able to conduct their investigations within learning institutions. They will be able to conduct their investigations by collecting various tissue samples and observe the mutation of the virus within the human body. Medical research and pharmaceutical companies have hesitated in committing funds for purposes of research and development. Developing a cure for HIV/AIDS will require cooperation among the various medical stakeholders due to the wide scope of the research (Oduaran et al 2006). In developing nations, infant mortality rates are on the increase as the unavailability of drugs begins to emerge. HIV/AIDS related illnesses severely affect the human body where if they are treated, humans will be able to increase their immunity towards resisting the HIV virus. In a research conducted by UNESCO, it identified that more children infected with HIV/AIDS perish due to related illnesses as opposed to the HIV virus (Unesco 2002). This shows laxity on the part of medical and pharmaceutical companies to provide affected populations with adequate medical drugs to treat HIV/AIDS related illnesses. To achieve the objectives of EFA, maternal health needs to be improved to avoid the transmission of the HIV virus from the mother to the child. This will further assist in ensuring safe delivery where the mid wives use sterilised equipment such that the mother does not contract the virus during child birth. Through education, mid wives and mothers are educated on how to ensure safety during child birth thus limiting the spread of the virus (Garcia et al 2008). Education increases the understanding of the population which should be backed up by development partners in eradicating HIV/AIDS in the community. Conclusion The EFA aims at achieving equitable access to quality education that will spur community developments (World Bank 2002). The program acknowledges that an educated society is less prone to dangers that require a little bit of knowledge to avoid them. HIV/AIDS is an example of such a danger that can be eradicated through adequate education facilities and resources. Efficient co-operations among development partners will significantly contribute to the eradication of the disease from the community. Community members will become united and pursue common agendas that seek to achieve the community’s interests. Through education, the importance of morals will be enhanced leading to the maturity of the society members. They are able to understand the issues related to HIV/AIDS and address them to avoid the spread of the disease. Bibliography Baker, D & Wiseman, AW 2007, Educ. For All: Global Promises & National Challenges, Emerald Grp Pub., New Jersey. Foster, G, Levine, C & Williamson, J 2005, A Generation at Risk: The Global Impact of HIV/AIDS on Orphans & Vulnerable Children, Cambridge UP, Cambridge. Garcia, M, Pence, AR, World Bank & Evans, JL 2008, Africa's Future, Africa's Challenge: Early Childhood Care & Dvlpmnt in Sub-Saharan Africa, World Bank Pub., Washington. Moore, M & Forst, ML 1996, AIDS Educ.: Reaching Diverse Populations, Greenwood Pub. Grp, Boston. Mishra, RC 2005, Hiv/Aids Educ., APH Pub., Detroit. Niekerk, VA & Kopelman, LM 2005, Ethics & AIDS in Africa: The Challenge to Our Thinking, New Africa Bks, Michigan. Oduaran, AB, Omolewa, M, Bhola, HS & Adekanbi, G 2006, Widening Access to Educ. as Social Justice, Springer Pub., Denver. Rao, DB 2003, World Educ. Forum, Discovery Pub. Hse, South Carolina. Satpathy, GC 2003, Prevention of HIV/AIDS & Drug Abuse, Gyan Bks, Michigan. Unesco 2002, Educ. For All: Is the World on Track? Unesco, New York. Unesco 2007, Educ. For All: Will We Make It? Oxford UP, Oxford. Unesco 2000, Educ. For All & Children Who are Excluded. Thematic Studies-World Educ. Forum, Unesco, Paris. World Bank 2002, Educ. & HIV/AIDS: A Window of Hope, World Bank Pub., Washington. Read More