Minister of Higher Education and Training Dr Blade Nzimande will announce the findings of the first higher education sector study on HIV prevalence and related factors next week.
The purpose of the study was to provide critical base-line data on HIV prevalence amongst staff and students at South African public higher education institutions and to identify behavioural risk and contextual factors.
The data will enable the sector and institutions to strengthen existing programmes of prevention, care and treatment in order to effectively address the needs of staff and students through an evidence based approach. The study involved a sample of more than 24 000 students, academics, administration and service staff with the fieldwork undertaken between August 2008 and February 2009.
The study was one of the key outputs of the second phase of Higher Education HIV and AIDS (HEAIDS) programme, which began in 2006 and which will formally draw to a close with a two-day sectoral conference, which is being held on 29 and 30 March 2010 at the Sandton Sun Hotel in Johannesburg.
Expected delegates to the conference include vice chancellors, institutional HIV and AIDS programme coordinators and a range of senior managers, staff and student representatives, HIV and AIDS researchers and academics, campus health service managers and practitioners, and policy makers.
Minister Nzimande will deliver the keynote address at the conference at 9h00. The media conference, at which he will announce the results of the study, will follow thereafter.
Details are as follows:
Date: Monday, 29 March 2010
Time: 9h00
Venue: Jacaranda Room; Conference Centre; Sandton Sun Hotel; corner Fifth and Alice Streets
Enquiries:
Ranjeni Munusamy
Tel: 012 312 5555
Cell: 082 898 6082
E-mail: munusamy.r@doe.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Higher Education and Training
26 March 2010
