day 25 - the connection between education and health

Core subjects at my school: math, English, science, history, foreign language. But an education isn’t restricted to these subjects. A secondary aspect of educating women in developing nations is how their education will positively impact other areas of their lives - of these, perhaps the most notable is the effect of an education on women’s health.

According to the United Nations Population Fund and the Global Campaign for Education, “Schools can be a primary source of information about prevention methods in the fight against HIV. New analysis by the Global Campaign for Education suggests that if all children received a complete primary education, the economic impact of HIV/AIDS could be greatly reduced and around 700,000 cases of HIV in young adults could be prevented each year—seven million in a decade.”

We also see two distinct possible scenarios: the first, the effect of HIV/AIDS on education; the second, the effect of education on HIV/AIDS prevention. Consider: “Children in families affected by AIDS are more likely than others to be taken out of school. Illness prevents family members from earning an income. Girls are also more likely than boys to leave school to care for family members who are ill or to support siblings when parents die of AIDS” (Global Coalition on Women and AIDS).

But with an education, people are more likely to delay sexual activity and to know prevention methods. The Campaign for Female Education estimates that an educated woman will be three times less likely to acquire HIV/AIDS in her lifetime. She also earns an average 25% more income, which may be used to provide her children with an education. In turn, with an education, her children are less likely to acquire HIV/AIDS and also provide education for their own children.

Educated women are more likely to recognize the impact of, and seek, health services (such as vaccinations) for their children, reducing the risk of their children dying of preventable diseases. Women with an education are also more likely to oppose the practice of female genital mutilation (FGB), a traditional practice to preserve a girl’s virginity until marriage. (United Nations Population Fund)

With an education, a girl can learn to read, a skill for the rest of her life. She can learn how to do math, and maybe even start her own microfinance business. But the positive effects of women’s education spread far beyond the reach of a schoolhouse: Education improves the health of women and their families, and perpetuates a cycle of education and health in future generations.

Janna