SHR education still a problem: Natangwe

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The Deputy Director of the HIV and AIDS Management Unit in the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, Julius Natangwe on Wednesday said there is a need to strengthen the quality of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SHR) education amongst young Namibians.

Natangwe in an interview with Nampa during an SRH and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) workshop said SHR issues such as teenage pregnancies continue to persist despite the government’s efforts to educate boys and girls on SHR and GBV through the formal education system.

“Access to education is there. However, the quality of education on SHR and GBV is compromised by many factors, the latest being COVID-19. Almost everything is conducted online, hence the workshop is taking place to see where we need to improve and how in order to eliminate SHR issues,” he said.

Natangwe explained that the issue of SHR is critical as evidence shows that girls continue to drop out of school because of pregnancy, adding that this has also had an impact on new HIV infections that Namibia as a country is striving to eliminate.

He added that quality education cannot only come from the formal education system and said it is equally important for parents to start giving information on SHR to their children.

“From the government’s side, we are making sure that teachers are capacitated on SHR issues. We are also making sure that community mobilisation takes place through stakeholder partnerships such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) programmes,” he noted.

At the same event, United Nations Population Fund Programme Director, Grace Hidinua said 66 per cent of Namibia’s population is below the age of 30 and it is important for a country with a young population to invest in their people through knowledge, such as SHR education.

“Demographic dividends is crucial for a country, however it can only be achieved by investing in education, which includes health education,” she said.

Source: Namibia Press Agency