§ Hugh BayleyTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of(a) teachers, (b) nurses and (c) front-line health sector staff other than nurses that are likely to die from HIV/AIDS and related illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa in the next 10 years. [164423]
§ Hilary BennIn sub-Saharan Africa HIV/AIDS is killing people in the prime of their working lives and weakening the ability of many countries to fill key public service posts needed to maintain essential service delivery. The problem is compounded by the increased demand for HIV/AIDS services (treatment, care and prevention) that must be met by a diminishing workforce.
1442WWe are, however, still at an early stage of understanding the direct extent of the impact on frontline health and education personnel as a result of death and illness from HIV/AIDS. The data available has limitations in terms of consistency and comparability.
The Department for International Development is working with development partners to assist Ministries of Education in assessing the impact of HIV/AIDS on teachers and in developing educational and management plans to mitigate those impacts. We have supported the preparation of impact assessment studies on the education systems in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Rwanda. We are working as a member of the UNAIDS Inter-Agency Task Team on Education and HIV/AIDS, to train education planners on HIV/AIDS through a programme of workshops under the leadership of the World Bank. We are further supporting the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning to carry out research on the impact of HIV/AIDS on education in sub-Saharan Africa. DFID also supports the work of the United Nations Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance (CHGA), which is currently undertaking research to map the implications of capacity losses from HIV/AIDS for the maintenance of state structures and economic development in Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The research will specifically investigate the implications of HIV/AIDS on service provision in the public and private sector. It will report its findings to the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan in 2005. One study by CHGA estimates that 10–15 per cent. of health service staff in Mozambique could die from HIV/AIDS between 2002 and 2010. This would have very damaging consequences for an already extremely weak and under-staffed health system.
The UK's new strategy on HIV/AIDS is being developed in consultation with stakeholders. The strategy, which will be published in July, will emphasise the importance of assisting countries to develop both short-term "emergency" solutions to address the current shortage of health and education personnel, and to take a longer-term view of human resource planning and management in the light of the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.