R25m to help SA universities tackle HIV/Aids

The funding was announced on Thursday by the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mduduzi Manana, during a strategy summit of HIV programme managers from public higher education institutions.

The summit held in Ekurhuleni was convened by HEAIDS to discuss institutional programme priorities and available support facilities.

The NSF grant will be used specifically to assist university lecturers to incorporate relevant modules of HIV/Aids into their teaching programmes, bringing HIV into the mainstream of various academic courses.

Announcing the grant, Manana said that universities and colleges, like all other institutions of society, cannot escape the social responsibility to engage with the challenges of South Africa.

Creating a pool of experts

"The HIV epidemic raises the role and responsibility of our teachers in the pressing matters of our society and in the lives of our students. Through this intervention, our graduating students will also be equipped to make a difference in the productive sectors of our economy and society as a whole in relation to HIV and Aids," Manana said.

HEAIDS director Dr Ramneek Ahluwalia noted that while it might seem obvious to use their teaching and learning platforms to deal with a national priority like the HIV epidemic, it was not that simple.

"Academics, who are experts in their fields, do not always find it easy to incorporate perspectives on HIV and Aids into their teaching programmes. HEAIDS will create a pool of experts in the area of HIV curriculum development and be in a position to train other academics in integrating HIV content into the curriculum across different disciplines," Ahluwalia said.

In addition to the NSF grant, the strategy summit addressed its partnership with the Networking HIV/Aids Community of South Africa to develop programmes to address the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersexed (LGBTI) students and staff at higher education institutions.

LGBTI individuals are identified in the National Strategic Plan for HIV, STIs and TB as constituting a key population to be engaged in HIV mitigation programmes.