Higher Education: Are we turning the tide towards the
new NSP 2012-2016
Critical considerations:
Mobilising leadership within the HE sector towards
HIV & AIDS
By: Teolene Foster
Sandile Phakathi
BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
• National Strategic Plan for HIV, STIs and TB, 2012-2016, South Africa,
2011
• Policy Framework for HIV and AIDS in Higher Education (2008)
• HIV Prevalence and related factors, Higher Education Sector Study,
South Africa, 2008-2009
• Norms and standards for HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment, care and
support, Higher Education Sector Study, South Africa, 2010
• Graduate Competency for Managing HIV/AIDS in the Workplace, Higher
Education Study, South Africa, 2010
NSP FOR HIV, STIs AND TB:2012-2016
Direct reference to HE:
 Strategic Objective 1: Address social and structural drivers
of HIV and TB Prevention, Care and Impact
 Strategic Objective 2: Prevent new HIV, STI and TB
Infections
 Strategic Objective 4: Ensure protection of Human Rights
and Increased Access to Justice
Indirect reference to HE:
• Strategic Objective 3: Sustain Health and Wellness
 Strategic Enablers : Research and Effective
Communication
HE LEADERSHIP
• Why should HE take the lead?
 Competitive edge in human resource development and
sustainability development
 Uniqueness of our core functions of teaching and learning
 Research and Community Engagement places us in a
strategic position to work across sectors and spheres of
society to mobilise the necessary capacity and evidence
towards an integrated response
HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERSHIP ROLE IN
ADDRESSING HIV AND AIDS
Prevention, care
and support
Internal
University
Community
Prepare
Graduates:
Professionally
Personally
Develop
Student
Leadership
Leadership
External
Society
Research and
Generating new
knowledge
Community
Engagement
CRITICAL COMPONENTS AND DIRECTIONS:
HIV SERO-PREVALENCE AND KAPB SURVEY
CRITICAL COMPONENTS AND DIRECTIONS:
HIV SERO-PREVALENCE AND KAPB SURVEY
Prevention, care and support
• Diversified and customised approach in accordance with risk profile
• Adhere to norms and standards for HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment,
care and support for HE in South Africa in accordance with risk profile
• Mitigate contextual risks that increases HIV, STIs and TB vulnerability
and susceptibility : transactional sex, alcohol abuse, women, residence
programmes, bridging programmes
• Strategy to address Risky behaviour
• Workplace and Employee Assistance Programmes for HIV and AIDS to
adhere to the Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 and the Code of Good
Practice for HIV and AIDS in the Workplace (TB and STIs to be
included)
• Resourcing a major constraint facing the sector
CRITICAL COMPONENTS AND DIRECTIONS:
PREPARE GRADUATES
• No formal agreements between HEIs and the Public and Private Sectors
w.r.t HIV and AIDS competencies
• Numerous HIV and AIDS HE policies and programmes, but few
international, regional or national initiatives that equip emerging
graduates with the competencies needed
• Universities education : Preparing students for citizenship or the
workplace?
• HIV and AIDS addressed in extra-curricular activities and not formally
•
AIDS Fatigue
• Students almost unanimously argued for a compulsory HIV and AIDS
course.
• Community Engagement and Service Learning : social accountability
and responsiblity
CRITICAL COMPONENTS: AND DIRECTIONS
PREPARE GRADUATES
• Business agrees that students are not adequately prepared to address
HIV and AIDS in the workplace
Universities are implementing (or will shortly start to
implement) what they refer to as “life skills” or
“citizenship” education.
CRITICAL COMPONENTS AND DIRECTIONS:
STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Visible
leadership
Advocacy
role
Lead by
Example
Tranformational
Agenda
CRITICAL COMPONENTS AND DIRECTIONS:
STUDENT LEADERSHIP
• Address social behaviour that puts students at risk of HIV,
STI infection and reinforce norms and behaviours that
are protective
 Sector response needed from Student leadership,
including Student Affairs Management Structures
MOBILISATION OF STUDENT LEADERS
Who are the Student Leaders?
• SRC
•
Political student formations
• House and Faculty Committees
• Sports Unions
WHY STUDENT LEADERS?
• They command respect and have tremendous influence on
students
• They have the ability to mobilise students behind and
around popular campaigns
• They hold regular meetings at House, Faculty and Campus
levels
• They have the most recent understanding of how students
interpret their conditions
• Political formations can ensure that HIV and AIDS
awareness is tackled regardless of ideological convictions
EXISTING CAMPAIGNS
• Graduate Alive Campaign
• Anti Substance Abuse Campaign
• First things First Campaign
PARTNERSHIPS
• The specific role of Sports Unions
 Each campus and each university has regular fixture games
 Fixtures also include games between and among separate Universities
 Such fixture start at a residence level
 National SASSU Games taking place annually
 All these events involve big numbers of spectators
• Strategic Partnerships
 Banners to be placed at playing fields during big tournaments
 All Sports Unions and to be encouraged to imprint red ribbons on their
official outfit for all sporting codes
 Formal agreement with SASSU on how the campaign should be
broadened
CRITICAL COMPONENTS AND DIRECTIONS:
RESEARCH AND KNOWLEDGE GENERATION
• Sector research to be steered towards National Agenda:
 Linked to the country’s specific needs related to HIV, STIs
and TB
 Aligned with the four strategic goals of the NSP
• Key Role Players
 Biomedical research: Medical Schools, Health Sciences
Faculties, Science Faculties, Schools of Public Health
 Social, Behavioural and Economic Research to ensure that
implementation of biomedical implementation is sensitive to
community needs, preferences and perceptions: Faculty of
Humanities, Faculty of Management;
CRITICAL COMPONENTS AND DIRECTIONS:
RESEARCH AND KNOWLEDGE GENERATION
• Sectoral expert involvement within relevant SANAC
structures:
 Regular interaction between researchers, policymakers and
leaders of public health programmes
 Result in a coordinated national research agenda
• “Repository” for research within HE related to HIV and AIDS
• Facilitate the development of a research agenda aligned
with NSP Research agenda within the sector
• Prioritise Inter-disciplinary research across diciplines
FUNDING NEEDED FOR RESEARCH
QUESTIONS TO ENGAGE WITH AS A SECTOR
 How do we move towards a leadership that portrays a
collective conscious rather than an individual or group
of individuals?
 What constitutes “graduateness” and “social citizenry”
within the social context of South Africa and where does
HIV and AIDS fit into this?
 Are we listening to the voices of society within our
sector? Is this evident in our curricula, research and
community engagement programmes?