South Africa School-Based Sexuality and HIV Prevention Education Activity

(EDC) in consortium with partner Health Economics and HIV and AIDS Research Division (HEARD). The activity aims to reduce new HIV infections in students and teachers by assisting the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to implement high-quality, evidence-informed sexuality and HIV prevention education programs. The activity's implementation focus is in five of the nine provinces, and in seven of the 27 identified priority districts for PEPFAR support in South Africa. These districts have the highest HIV infection rate and disease burden. The activity's objectives are to increase the number of teachers qualified to teach sexuality education, strengthen DBE's capacity to provide education and training for teachers, improve the quality of school-based sexuality and HIV education programs, increase DBE capacity to work in partnership with the Department of Health, and improve systems to evaluate the effectiveness of the sexuality and HIV education program. During the January to March 2019 reporting period, the activity made significant progress towards its objectives. Training of educators in all provinces was conducted, with a total of 1,396 educators from 749 schools expected to reach 202,953 learners. The training was well-received by primary school educators, who were able to grasp concepts quickly and cover more lessons. The activity also conducted orientation of School Governing Bodies (SGBs), finalized Scripted Lesson Plans (SLPs), and collected data from schools. The activity distributed the COP'18 targets into three phases, with a target of 47,700 Grade 4-6 learners, a target of 65,215 Grade 7-9 learners, and a target of 48,850 Grade 10-12 learners. Against the set target of 65,215 Grade 7-9 learners, the activity recorded an 84% reach with 54,951 learners. The activity also strengthened the Integrated School Health Program (ISHP) work in all implementation sites, providing SRH services to schools using Standard Operating Procedures developed by DBE, DOH, DSD, and USAID. The activity's progress towards its objectives is evident in the significant achievements made during the January to March 2019 reporting period. The training of educators in all provinces has increased the number of teachers qualified to teach sexuality education, while the orientation of SGBs has strengthened DBE's capacity to provide education and training for teachers. The finalization of SLPs and the collection of data from schools have improved the quality of school-based sexuality and HIV education programs, while the strengthening of ISHP work has increased DBE capacity to work in partnership with the Department of Health. The activity's implementation focus in five of the nine provinces and seven of the 27 identified priority districts for PEPFAR support in South Africa has enabled it to target areas with the highest HIV infection rate and disease burden. The activity's objectives are aligned with the DBE and USAID guidance, and its progress towards these objectives is a testament to its effectiveness in reducing new HIV infections in students and teachers. The activity's results framework, which outlines the expected outcomes and indicators for the activity, provides a clear direction for the activity's implementation. The framework includes indicators such as the number of teachers qualified to teach sexuality education, the quality of school-based sexuality and HIV education programs, and the effectiveness of the activity in reducing new HIV infections in students and teachers. The activity's financial reporting and procurement expenditures are managed in accordance with the USAID regulations and guidelines. The activity's operations and management are overseen by the EDC, which is responsible for ensuring that the activity is implemented in accordance with the contract terms and conditions. The activity's lessons learned, challenges, and recommendations are documented in the activity's quarterly progress report. The report highlights the activity's achievements, challenges, and lessons learned, and provides recommendations for future implementation. The report is submitted to the USAID and DBE, and is used to inform future implementation of the activity. The activity's staff, including the EDC and HEARD, are committed to ensuring that the activity is implemented effectively and efficiently. The staff work closely with the DBE, provinces, and districts to ensure that the activity's objectives are met, and that the activity is aligned with the DBE and USAID guidance.