Keeping the education system healthy: managing the impact of HIV/AIDS on education in South Africa

HIV/AIDS not only attacks individuals. It also attacks systems. Until recently, HIV/AIDS has been perceived primarily as a health problem, which can be contained by effective health education programmes. But the deadly virus has not been contained and continues to spread so widely that it is now having a profound adverse impact on communities and institutions. Government's health-focused HIV/AIDS plans have failed to consider what must be done when the disease is out of control and state systems are themselves threatened. This article suggests that while working to limit the spread of the diseases, it is necessary to recognise and manage the pandemic's impact on the education system.