This activity also relates to Condoms and Other Prevention (8822). The USG has supported President Museveni's Initiative on AIDS Strategy for Communication to the Youth - or PIASCY - as an institutional effort to improve communication on HIV and AIDS to young people since 2003. The major focus to date has been on upper primary school children aged 8-14 and has included technical assistance to develop PIASCY materials for teachers and students, printing and distribution of teacher handbooks with information and methodologies to teach numerous HIV-related topics, training primary school teachers to deliver prevention and life skills messages, and development of guidance and counseling materials and roll out of a guidance and counseling program. The guidance and counseling support has been a particular innovation of PIASCY, to support teachers as they approach sensitive topics with the children. With USG support, the program rolled out to all primary schools in Uganda in 2005. An independent evaluation of the PIASCY Program is being conducted in mid 2006, the results of which will help to strengthen and/or reorient the program as needed to reach more children with effective behavior change interventions. Based on implementation to date, it is already apparent that future efforts must include greater depth to teacher training and additional complementary activities such as guidance and counseling, establishment of anti-AIDS clubs, facilitating parental dialogue with teachers and with children, and provision of incentive grants to schools-- to support the teacher and head teacher efforts.

In FY06 efforts were launched to extend and adapt PIASCY to secondary school students and teachers. Handbooks were developed for O and A levels by a working group of stakeholders from the Ministry of Education and Sports, the faith-based and the non governmental organizations. Whereas materials developed for primary school were straightforward and abstinence-focused, the working group encountered difficulties reaching consensus on appropriate messages and materials for more comprehensive prevention materials for the older children enrolled in secondary schools, resulting in a delay as well as final agreement on acceptable content. Handbooks and other materials were piloted in 2006, along with the establishment of anti-AIDS clubs in secondary schools.

In support of the national policy of universal secondary education and the GOU eagerness to accelerate prevention efforts, in 2007 the PIASCY secondary school initiative will be rolled out to all public and private secondary, technical and vocational, and teacher training institutions in the country. O and A level books will be printed and distributed to reach all students. These student handbooks provide relevant, age-appropriate information about HIV transmission and promote activities that create life skills which can reduce vulnerability to the disease. The handbooks also encourage greater involvement of youth in providing care to HIV affected family and community members, as one way of increasing awareness of the disease and self-perception of risk among young people. An in-service training program for teachers will be developed to provide them with skills needed in forming anti AIDS clubs, and coordinate a rich set of activities, including debates, educational games, outreach to community, drama and panels of speakers that encourage learning, shape attitudes, and facilitate behavior change. A grants program will be developed to fund innovative anti-AIDS club activities that increase peer to peer education and facilitate outreach to communities. Club activities will include debates and discussions of various HIV-related topics and will address underlying cultural and gender norms which contribute to HIV transmission.

The USG has been the main financier of PIASCY interventions to date. To increase the long term sustainability of the program, concerted efforts will be made in FY 2007 to work with other development partners and faith-based groups to increase their financial and harmonized efforts at delivering effective HIV prevention messages. For example, discussions have begun with the Africa Development Back (ADB) to earmark funding for PIASCY activities in its new country program, and coordination mechanisms with the program and the USG team will be put in place.

OGAC Reviews: Is there any outcome data available for this activity documenting behavioral change? Again, the UPHOLD program has performed at or above expectations in the majority of areas as evidenced by the 2006 Annual Report and is an important tool to expand reach of services nationally and in key districts. Activity 8437 describes several efforts undertaken by UPHOLD to extend the reach of AB messages and skills. The

largest portion of the budget ($2,000,000) targets 4,000,000 children; 5000 teachers and contributes to the scaling up and strengthening of PIASCY, based on implementation to date. We agree with the review team that PIASCY could serve as a best practice model. It is the major reason why the USG Team planned an evaluation of the PIASCY program in FY06, in collaboration with the MOES - this will take place in FY07.

This activity also relates to Abstinence/Be Faithful (8414). The USG has supported President Museveni's Initiative on AIDS Strategy for Communication to the Youth - or PIASCY - as an institutional effort to improve communication on HIV and AIDS to young people since 2003. The major focus to date has been on upper primary school children aged 8-14 and has included technical assistance to develop PIASCY materials for teachers and students, printing and distribution of teacher handbooks with information and methodologies to teach numerous HIV-related topics, training primary school teachers to deliver prevention and life skills messages, and development of guidance and counseling materials and roll out of a guidance and counseling program. The guidance and counseling support has been a particular innovation of PIASCY, to support teachers as they approach sensitive topics with the children. With USG support, the program rolled out to all primary schools in Uganda in 2005.

An independent evaluation of the PIASCY Program is being conducted in mid 2006, the results of which will help to strengthen and/or reorient the program as needed to reach more children with effective behavior change interventions. Based on implementation to date, it is already apparent that future efforts must include greater depth to teacher training and additional complementary activities such as guidance and counseling, establishment of anti-AIDS clubs, facilitating parental dialogue with teachers and with children, and provision of incentive grants to schools-- to support the teacher and head teacher efforts. This set of activities is likely to be even more pertinent to the teachers and student populations in post primary settings, as students become more mature and experiment with relationships and emotions.

In FY06 efforts were launched to extend and adapt PIASCY to secondary school students and teachers. Handbooks were developed for O and A levels by a working group of stakeholders from the Ministry of Education and Sports, the faith-based and the non governmental organizations. Whereas materials developed for primary school were straightforward and abstinence-focused, the working group encountered difficulties reaching consensus on comprehensive prevention messages and materials that are appropriate for the older children enrolled in secondary schools. The process was lengthy and laborious, yet it culminated in final agreement on overall content acceptable to all stakeholders. Student handbooks include facts and information on a variety of preventive behaviors, including delayed sex, abstinence as well as correct and consistent condom use. Handbooks and other materials were piloted in 2006, along with the establishment of anti-AIDS clubs in secondary schools.

In support of the national policy of universal secondary education and the GOU eagerness to accelerate prevention efforts, in 2007 the PIASCY secondary school initiative will be rolled out to all public and private secondary, technical and vocational, and teacher training institutions in the country. O and A level books will be printed and distributed to reach all students. These student handbooks provide relevant, age-appropriate information about HIV transmission and promote activities that create life skills which can reduce vulnerability to the disease. The handbooks developed for secondary school students also encourage greater involvement of youth in providing care to HIV affected family and community members, as one way of increasing awareness of the disease and self-perception of risk among young people. An in-service training program for teachers will be developed to provide them with skills needed in forming anti AIDS clubs, and coordinate a rich set of activities, including debates, educational games, outreach to community, drama and panels of speakers that encourage learning, shape attitudes, and facilitate behavior change. A grants program will be developed to fund innovative anti-AIDS club activities that increase peer to peer education and facilitate outreach to communities. Club activities will include debates and discussions of various HIV-related topics and will address underlying cultural and gender norms which contribute to HIV transmission.

The USG has been the main financier of PIASCY interventions to date. To increase the long term sustainability of the program, concerted efforts will be made in FY 2007 to work with other development partners and faith-based groups to increase their financial and harmonized efforts at delivering effective HIV prevention messages. For example, discussions have begun with the Africa Development Back (ADB) to earmark funding for PIASCY activities in its new country program, and coordination mechanisms with the

program and the USG team will be put in place.