UNESCO is a specialised UN agency that promotes international cooperation among member states in the fields of education, science, culture and communication in order to ensure sustainable development that is based on the observance of human rights and mutual respect.

HIV-related Mission

UNESCO's priority is to prevent the spread of HIV through education and to protect the core functions of the education system from the worst effects of the epidemic, drawing on the strengths and resources of all of UNESCO’s sectors.

The priority that UNESCO has given to education is based on the evidence that education –especially education on HIV 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 for understanding, respect and tolerance – all of which contribute to reduced stigma and discrimination against vulnerable communities and people living with HIV.

Main objectives

• Promote full and effective multisectoral engagement in national AIDS efforts including education, culture, communications and the sciences.
• Support comprehensive and scaled-up education sector responses to HIV and AIDS through the EDUCAIDS partnership with UNAIDS Cosponsors, national authorities, and other key education sector stakeholders, and including bilateral agencies and civil society groups at the country level
• Coordinate with partners to ensure a seamless delivery of high-quality HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support services within the framework of the agreed UNAIDS division of labour and other GTT recommendations.

Actions

UNESCO supports five core actions in its AIDS response. These are to

• Promote advocacy and support for evidence-informed policies and practices
• Increase policy and programmatic guidance
• Provide technical support and capacity enhancement
• Promote coordination and harmonisation
• Monitoring, assessing and evaluating progress

Key Roles of the Cluster Offices

UNESCO's strategy focuses on addressing the needs of the most vulnerable including the poor, young girls and women as well as out-of-school children and youth. The devastating impact of AIDS on the educational system of countries of eastern and southern Africa is threatening the achievements of the Education For All (EFA) goals. UNESCO cluster offices therefore pay particular attention to the development of EFA action plans in the context of HIV. The offices support education ministries with the development of capacity to provide appropriate educational services

Key Roles of UNESCO within the Regional HIV and AIDS Team (RHAT)

UNESCO is responsible for HIV prevention in educational institutions within the HIV Prevention working group

Regional Offices and Contacts

Eastern Africa Cluster

• Addis Ababa Office: Djibouti, Ethiopia,
• Dar-es-Salaam Office: Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Tanzania
• Nairobi Office and Regional Bureau for Science in Africa: Burundi, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Uganda

UNESCO Office Addis Ababa

A. Elhassane
Head of Office
ECA Building, Menelik Avenue
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax: +251 1 51 1414

HIV Focal Point	Designation	Telephone	Email
Florence Ssereo	Education Programme Specialist	+251 11 551 3953	f.ssereo@unesco.org

UNESCO Office Dar-es-Salaam

Cheikh Tidiane Sy
Oyster Bay, Uganda Avenue Plot No 197 A
PO Box 31473, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
Fax: +255 22 266 6927

HIV Focal Point	Designation	Telephone	Email
Cathleen Sekwao	National Programme Officer Education	+255 22 266 6623	c.sekwao@unesco.org

UNESCO Office Nairobi

Joseph Massaquoi
Head of Office
United Nations Office at Nairobi
PO Box 30592, Nairobi, Kenya 00100
Tel: +254 20 622 036
Fax: +254 20 622 750

HIV Focal Point	Designation	Telephone	Email
Alice Ochanda	National Programme Officer	+254 20 762 2086	alice.ochanda@unesco.unon.org

Southern Africa Cluster

Harare Office: Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Windhoek Office: Angola, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland

UNESCO Office Harare

Juma Shabani
Head of Office
8 Kenilworth Rd, Newlands
PO Box HG 435
Harare, Zimbabwe
Fax: +263 4 77 60 55

HIV Focal Point	Designation	Telephone	Email
Memory Zulu	Project Officer	+263 4 77 67 75/9	m.zulu@unesco.org

UNESCO Office Windhoek

Claudia Harvey
Head of Office
Oppenheimer House, 5 Brahms Street
Windhoek 9000, PO Box 24519, Windhoek West, Namibia
Fax: +264 61 291 7220

HIV Focal Point	Designation	Telephone	Email
Ben Boys	Education Programme Officer	+264 61 291 7000	b.boys@unesco.org

Websites

www.unesco.org/AIDS
www.unesco-nairobi.org
http://hivaids.nairobi-unesco.org/
http://www.harare.unesco.org
www.dakar.unesco.org/education_fr/qualite_sida.shtml