How can we work for effective change to stop the spread and impact of HIV/AIDS?

Define · Locate · Select · Organise · Present · Evaluate Define the task Scenario In this learning quest, your team will take on the role of people living with HIV/AIDS or people addressing the challenges of HIV/AIDS. You will investigate how HIV/AIDS impacts on people, its spread and evaluate the effectiveness of programs which focus on care, support, treatment and prevention to determine whether the world can win the fight against HIV/AIDS. Background The number of people living with HIV/AIDS rose from an estimated 29.5 million in 2001 to 33 million in 2007, 95 per cent of whom live in developing countries. In 2000, the world promised to address poverty through the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). The sixth MDG committed to halving the spread of infection and providing treatment for those living with HIV/AIDS by 2015. The spread of HIV/AIDS is often associated with taboo subjects of sexual relations and drug use making open discussion about prevention difficult and stigmatising those affected. The people most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS include the poor, women and girls, people with multiple sex partners, injecting drug users and children of infected mothers. The symptoms can take many years to appear which makes the education message difficult to understand. HIV/AIDS attacks people in their most productive years, destroys families and communities, and places heavy financial burdens on the economy. There is no effective cure for HIV/AIDS. Antiretroviral drugs, combined with good nutrition and good health, can limit the effects of HIV/AIDS but these are generally out of reach for the majority of people living with HIV/AIDS in poor countries. Prevention is an important factor in limiting the spread of HIV but in many countries the associated stigma and discrimination prevent effective treatment and limit education for behavioural change. In this Global Learning Quest you will investigate the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS, treatments available and methods such as education to reduce the spread. In groups, you will investigate your allocated roles and consider methods of preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing adequate treatment. Each group will present their recommendations for the effective prevention and care of people living with HIV/AIDS with supportive evidence. As a whole class you will discuss the Global Question. How can we work for effective change to stop the spread and impact of HIV/AIDS? Perspectives on the Global Question In small groups, take roles of different people associated with HIV/AIDS to develop recommendations of effective methods to reduce the impact and spread of HIV infection. Outline of group roles People living with HIV/AIDS As sex workers, drug users and people with multiple sexual partners you are the main groups of people living with HIV/AIDS. Often your status in society means you have limited power to negotiate safe practices and money to purchase medicine and healthy food to prevent becoming HIV positive. You are discriminated against when trying to access health care and education. Family and friends of those living with HIV/AIDS Caring for family members living with HIV/AIDS is exhausting. It can mean you are unable to work or do not have the time or strength to grow food and teach your children cultural practices. Often all your money is spent on medications and funerals. Sometimes you find that you are also living with HIV/AIDS. Non Government Organisations and human rights activists The stagnation of HIV/AIDS funding and the high cost of new medicines put the lives of thousands of poor people living with HIV/AIDS at risk. Your organisation provides care for individuals and families and advocates to the international community for the need to increase funding for better health care, awareness programs and cheaper medications. Health minister Your country has many people living with HIV/AIDS. There is limited budget to provide even basic health care so the additional expense of caring for and providing expensive medication for HIV/AIDS is impossible. You want to present strong leadership to address the prevention, spread and treatment of HIV/AIDS but your education campaign needs to consider the culture, religion and values of people in developing awareness and changing risky behaviours. Drug company executive Your company has invested much capital and many years of research to find a cure for HIV/AIDS. You have produced drugs to alleviate the symptoms but they are expensive and people develop immunity quickly meaning the search needs to begin again. The production of cheaper generic versions of your drugs means the loss of your investment. You are committed to providing more affordable medicines to low income people as long as there is some compensation for your investment. Locate General information http://tinyurl.com/aidsgeneralinfo Group specific websites People living with HIV/AIDS http://tinyurl.com/livingwithAIDS Family and friends of those living with HIV/AIDS http://tinyurl.com/AIDSfamilyandfriends Non Government Organisations and human rights activitsts http://tinyurl.com/NGOsandhumanrights Health Minister http://tinyurl.com/healthminister Drug company exectutive http://tinyurl.com/treatingAIDS Select information Background questions What is HIV/AIDS? How does it spread? Which groups of people are most vulnerable to the spread of HIV/AIDS? What barriers are there to changing behaviours to address the spread of HIV/AIDS? What impacts does it have on your community and culture? What impacts does it have on the economic situation of your country? What impacts does it have on the environment of your country? Group specific questions What is the impact of living with HIV/AIDS on your life? What strategies/programs have assisted you to deal with these difficulties? What recommendations would you make about managing the spread and supporting people living with HIV/AIDS? Organise Use the information you have gathered to outline the impact of HIV/AIDS on people’s lives. This may be in the form of stories, statistics and facts. Describe activities which assist people living with HIV/AIDS. If possible include the cost and the reach these activities have. As a group decide which actions are most effective in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and ensuring effective treatment for those living with HIV/AIDS. Consider the impact and cost for families and communities. Develop a multimedia presentation of your group's perspective about the most effective ways of addressing HIV/AIDS. The presentation should outline why HIV/AIDS is a problem, how it is spread, and the people most affected. It should outline a program or series of activities which are addressing the issue and conclude with a statement or recommendation about HIV/AIDS. Identify any further research you need to undertake to support your answer to the Global Question. How can we work for effective change to stop the spread and impact of HIV/AIDS? Present Each group introduces their multimedia presentation to the other groups. Groups then re-form with a member of each of the original groups to review the different recommendations about the effective prevention and treatment for HIV/AIDS. OR Debate: The world will meet its commitment to the sixth MDG of halving the spread of infection and providing treatment for those living with HIV/AIDS by 2015. OR Organise an event which educates others about the spread of HIV and what individuals can do to prevent its spread locally and/or globally. Evaluate Individually and as a group reflect on what you have learnt about addressing the issues of HIV/AIDS. Also reflect how you have worked with each other as members of a team to complete the project.     High Medium Low Collecting information       Ability to gather relevant information Used key resources to gather information that was important and related to the questions Used a variety of resources and collected information that was useful to answer the questions Used only one or two resources and selected general rather than specific information to answer the questions Ability to use information to support a particular perspective. Able to develop an understanding of a particular point of view about the issue and support this well with information gathered Able to select some information regarding a particular point of view about the issue Formed opinion with only limited use of the information gathered Working as a team       Ability to work with others in a group Listened carefully to others, shared own information and supported others to express their point of view and keep the group working together well Listened to others and made some comments to support the group to work together Listened to some people but did not always encourage others to contribute their ideas Presenting information       Ability to present information with rationale Presented the key points with supportive evidence in an engaging manner Presented the key points with some evidence in a clear manner Presented some key points in a short manner Ability to reflect on learning       Ability to apply learning about HIV/AIDS to personal lifestyle and community action Able to explain factors influencing the spread of HIV/AIDS Able to advocate effectively for a selected manner to decrease the spread of HIV/AIDS and support those living with HIV/AIDS. Able to explain some factors which contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS Able to argue how to address the spread of HIV/AIDS or care of for those living with HIV Able to ask questions about factors which contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS Able to suggest an action to address the spread of HIV/AIDS or care of for those living with HIV/AIDS

Learning outcome : Students will describe the impact and spread of HIV/AIDS and examine activities to care for those living with HIV/AIDS and prevent its spread. Learning Areas: Health; Geography; International Relations Year levels: Upper secondary Duration: 2 hours Tools needed: Internet access

Roughly 40 per cent of the three to four million people living in Soweto, the Johannesburg shantytown in South Africa, are HIV positive. Addressing the sixth Millennium Development Goal involves care and support of those living with HIV/AIDS and preventing the spread of HIV infection. Jo Elsom, AusAID