226 Human Development May 2003 Findings reports on ongoing operational, economic, and sector work carried out by the World Bank and its member governments in the Africa Region. It is published periodically by the Knowledge and Learning Center on behalf of the Region. The views expressed in Findings are those of the author/s and should not be attributed to the World Bank Group. http://www.worldbank.org/afr/findings Fighting The Insidious Killer African Teenagers Battle HIV/AIDS through ICT "T he most important mes- shows the continuing need for sage is that we must chal- HIV/AIDS educational prevention lenge and fight this pan- activities targeted specifically for demic relentlessly. We should be the young people not yet affected. as fearless as Chantika Nkhoma who said `I have no fear. I live with HIV/AIDS and ICT a killer already.' Infected or af- fected, we all have a responsibility The use of information and com- to play our part in eradicating this munications technologies (ICT) scourge." These are the words of complements other information Ama Ababio, a Zimbabwean education and communications teacher and anti-AIDS activist. (IEC) campaigns designed to reach According to the Joint United youth. The same technology re- Nations Program on HIV/AIDS sources--e-mail, CD-ROMs, (UNAIDS), African countries carry listserves, and the World Wide an HIV/AIDS burden 100 times Web--that can link HIV/AIDS edu- that of industrialized countries. cators and activists around the Tens of millions of adults live with world, also hold great promise for HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa and the reaching youth, who typically em- prevalence rate of youths (ages 15­ brace the use of technology for 24) infected with the disease is entertainment, learning, and com- alarming. In Zimbabwe, over 25 munication when given access to percent of the adult population har- these resources. bor HIV, and an estimated 23­25 Several recent reports have pro- percent of female youth and 9­13 vided highlights on the use of ICT percent male youth are infected. to combat HIV/AIDS. In November Botswana has the highest HIV 2001, a consultant for the Inter- prevalence rate in the world: 35.8 national Development Research percent of the adults, 32­36 per- Council produced a comprehen- cent of the female youth, and 13­ sive report showcasing several pi- Findings 18 percent of the male youth are lot project activities in this area. affected. In virtually any country Among other conclusions, the au- where 15 percent or more of all thor recommended the impor- adults are currently infected with tance of teaching girls and young HIV, at least 35 percent of boys now women how to use the Internet aged 15 will die of AIDS. According (Driscoll, 2001). Other evidence to UNAIDS, the overall HIV preva- also suggests that women with the lence rate among African youth mastery of almost any level of ICT knowledge increase their self-es- 2000, with project support from Project activities teem, which affects other activi- Wired magazine, fifteen schools in ties that work toward poverty alle- Ghana, South Africa, Uganda and Once signed up to participate, each viation--an important element in Zimbabwe participated in the student and teacher fills out an decreasing their susceptibility to project using the ICT resources online introductory questionnaire, economic situations that put them and training available at the World which is also used by the project at greater risk of catching HIV/ Links' Internet Learning Centers facilitator--a reproductive health AIDS (Coumba, 2001). (ILCs) established in schools and consultant--as a pre-test. Then, community learning centers in participants work through five edu- World Links and the AIDSWEB each of those four countries. cational goal activities (each, with Project In 2001, twenty-five schools-- the exception of a the cultural ex- with 200 teacher and student par- change module, taking a month to As a pilot intervention to explore ticipants--were involved in the complete). Through the five mod- the impact of using ICT for HIV/ online exchange with an online ules (i.e., Cultural Exchange, Basic AIDS education, the World Links project facilitator. In the current Facts of HIV/AIDS, The Importance Program, a collaborative partner- project, which will run through May of HIV/AIDS, The Challenge of HIV ship between the World Bank 2002, over thirty schools--with Prevention, and Social Action), teach- Institute's World Links for Devel- about 300 teacher and student par- ers and students explore myths and opment (WorLD) Program and the ticipants--enrolled in the project misunderstandings, conduct re- World Links Organization, has to exchange questions, answers search, and discuss how they can been working with students and and discussion via the project's prevent HIV in their own lives and teachers in Africa since early 2000 moderated e-mail listserv. This communities. The Social Action to promote HIV/AIDS education year's project has also been en- component is an important project and prevention activities. Early hanced through a growing inter- feature encouraging students and results from the project suggest national partnership and new teachers to develop an HIV/AIDS that technology can play a comple- country participants. New project action plan through which the stu- mentary and useful role in help- partners include iEARN, Schools dents can try to have an impact on ing combat this horrible pandemic. Online, Education Development their community. Some social ac- World Links and the World Bank's Center, and the United Negro Col- tion plans included working with AIDS Campaign Team for Africa lege Fund's Specials Projects pro- Parent-Teacher Associations, es- (ACTAfrica) designed the initial gram. Additionally, schools in five tablishing income-generating online collaborative project on HIV/ new countries--Botswana, Kenya, projects for youth, and inviting tes- AIDS prevention and care. In early the US, and Zambia--have also timonies from people living with joined the online project. HIV/AIDS (PWAs). Related to the Findings Findings can be accessed via the World Bank Group's website at http://www.worldbank.org/ Click on Publications, then Periodicals. Or, Findings would also be of interest to: click on Countries and Regions, then Africa Name Institution Address Letters, comments, and requests for publications not available at the World Bank Bookstore should be addressed to: Editor, Findings Operational Quality and Knowledge Services Africa Region, The World Bank 1818 H Street NW, Room J-8-095 Washington, D.C. 20433 e-mail: pmohan@worldbank.org final activity, more than fifty other people on HIV/AIDS, inter- these future leaders and prompt- schools (several which not cur- viewing elders and challenging ing new youth activism. "Ever since rently part of the AIDSWEB online them, and being asked our opin- I returned from the AIDS Confer- project) in seven African coun- ion on the struggle [against AIDS] ence in Durban, SA, things have tries are competing in the first by our elders," they said. not been the same for me," said annual AIDSWEB Social Action Chris Kwei, a teacher from Ghana. Website Design Competition to cap- Reaching out to rural youth "I really feel like leaving the class- ture best practices of school and room and joining in the fight community HIV/AIDS prevention Notwithstanding the activities de- against this pandemic disease." activities. scribed above, most African youth An additional project priority is in the short- and medium-term to get more and better HIV/AIDS will not be able to access the vast educational materials into amounts of information available schools. A pilot example of this on the Internet. Most countries in latter activity has been developed sub-Sahara Africa are still chal- through a partnership with a Zim- Anthony Bloome is an Operations lenged by low Internet and com- babwean NGO, the Training and Officer with the World Bank puter penetration per capita. Research Support Center Institute's Human Development Divi- There is about one Internet user (TARSC), whose dynamic adoles- sion. This article is reproduced from for every 200 people in Africa (and cent reproductive health activity Development Outreach, Spring this is heavily skewed because of pack, "Auntie Stella," is now 2002, Vol. 4, No. 1. the higher Internet penetration in available at www.auntiestella.org South Africa), compared to a world and features thirty question and average of about one user for ev- answer cards, based on the prob- ery fifteen people, and a North References lem page letters to magazines, American and European average of "Agony Aunts," and radio help lines about one in every two people. Report on the global HIV/AIDS which teenagers identified as a While this limited access cur- epidemic, Switzerland: Joint popular source of information. rently poses a significant barrier United Nations Program on to youth-targeted ICT-based edu- HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), June What the participants say cational campaigns, such as the 2000, www.unaids.org/ AIDSWEB project, ongoing ICT ini- epidemic_update/report/index/ Teachers who have participated tiatives to bridge the digital divide html). in the project report that it has are also demonstrating how HIV/ Driscoll, Libby, HIV/AIDS and raised awareness of HIV/AIDS AIDS resources can be creatively Information and Communications issues among their students, delivered to rural communities. Technology, International enhanced research skills, helped For example, three-quarters of the Development Research Council, the integration of HIV/AIDS edu- four hundred or so World Links Pro- November 2001. cation into school curricula and gram Internet Learning Centers in Mar Gadio, Dr. Coumba, "Explor- helped emphasize the role of the Africa are located outside of the ing the Gender Impact of the teacher as a facilitator. capital cities and a number have World Links Program," November Strive Mazunga, a student from been established as school-based 2001, www.world-links.org Zimbabwe, commenting on his telecenters providing ICT training Kelly, M.J., The Response of participation in the project, said: and access to HIV/AIDS organiza- Information Technology to the "This project has really taken me tions and other community groups Challenge of HIV/AIDS in Higher to another stage in my life. I've in the after-school hours. Addition- Education Institutions in Africa, learnt to help my friends and rela- ally, innovative technologies, such Ad Hoc Expert Group Meeting on tives whenever they are in need." as mobile van telecenters and the the use of Information and Students of the Namilyango Col- use of satellite technology for con- Communications Technology in lege in Uganda, after participat- necting rural schools with high- Africa, Nairobi: November 19- ing in the Challenge of HIV Preven- speed Internet connectivity, are 21. tion online project activity, went being pilot-tested by the program. Klofkorn-Bloome, Ann, "Schools out in their community and in- These rural youth are on the Think About HIV/AIDS: A World terviewed various authorities. front lines in the struggle against Links Online Collaborative "We really liked the field visit that HIV/AIDS in their communities. Project," TechKnowLogia, July/ we made to various places, find- Internet and other ICT resources August 2001, ing more about the opinions of may play a key role in linking www.techknowlogia.org Jensen, Mike, The African Internet HIV/AIDS Informational Websites Youth-Focused Sites: Advocates a Status Report, February 2002 for Youth http://www3.sn.apc.org/africa/ General Sites: Avert (www.advocatesforyouth.org) afstat.htm (www.avert.org) CDC (www.cdc.gov) Focus on Young Adults (http:/ Bloome, Anthony, "Wireless US Census Bureau /www.pathfind.org/focus.htm) School Internet Connectivity," (www.census.gov) Auntie Stella January/March 2002 & "Big AIDS Network/inxpress (www.auntiestella.org) Blue's Coming To Town," (www.inxpress.net/~aidsnet/ Peace Corps Life Skills' Manual TechKnowLogia, July/August index2.html) (www.peacecorps.gov/publica- 2001, www.techknowlogia.org SIECUS (www.siecus.org) tions/field_download.cfm) The World Health Organization My Future My Choice ( w w w . w h o . i n t / e m c - h i v / (www.edsnet.na/resources/ index.html) MFMC.htm) UNAIDS (www.unaids.org) Straight Talk (www.straight- talk.org.ug)