Highly active anti-retroviral treatment as a bridge towards education for all in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

The dual campaigns of Education for All (EFA) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) have made universal primary school enrolment for boys and girls a priority for developing countries. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has affected millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa and has depleted the teaching corps. As a result, the HIV/AIDS pandemic has pushed the targets of EFA and MDG further out of reach for many medium and high HIV-prevalence countries. The provision of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in developing countries, however, has given hope to thousands who have not had access to treatment. The Commission on Human Rights in 2001 and again in 2002 confirmed that access to AIDS medication is a key component of the right to the highest attainable standard of health, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This article explores how scaling up of HAART for teachers can make the EFA and MDG targets attainable. A HAART programme for teachers can produce substantial fiscal savings in sick leave pay, the cost of training new teachers, and funeral expenses, even under high HIV prevalence situations.