In 2008, UNESCO commissioned an independent evaluation of the implementation of EDUCAIDS, the UNAIDS Global Initiative on Education and HIV & AIDS (led by UNESCO) that seeks to prevent the spread of HIV through education and to protect the core functions of the education system from the worst effects of the epidemic. The evaluation was conducted by an external consultant and completed in 2009. Its purpose was to identify the main results achieved by EDUCAIDS, to highlight key challenges encountered in its implementation at global, regional and country levels, and to draw out lessons learned in order to inform future directions. UNESCO has produced a summary that provides an overview of the evaluation's key findings and recommendations, and outlines how UNESCO is using the findings and lessons learned in its ongoing efforts to strengthen comprehensive education sector responses to HIV & AIDS around the world.