HIV/Aids discourse: challenges for teachers, students and pilicy makers in Papua New Guinea

The HIV / AIDS pandemic, the most serious crisis in health and social welfare in the contemporary world, is particularly devastating in developing countries. The prevalent rates of HIV / AIDS in the developing world present unprecedented challenges for governments, educators, health professionals and local communities. \ud This paper reports on a pilot study into HIV/AIDS education programs in Papua New Guinea. It explores the perceptions of policy makers, teachers and students from senior secondary schools concerning their knowledge of problems and issues central to the epidemic. It comments on how the themes emerging from this data illustrate the complexities surrounding education about the sensitive issue of HIV/AIDS, and discusses examples of effective education programs from other countries which educators might like to consider