Education and Development: The Issues and the Evidence

organisations. It is the last element that educational campaigns may influence.

As far as smoking is concerned there is some evidence that government campaigns can
influence the perception of risk in voluntary health related behaviours. Studies of
smoking seem to indicate that young people are more influenced by campaigns and
more likely to over estimate risks than are comparable older individuals. This is thought
to be because direct and indirect experience indicates to older individuals levels of true
risk, whilst information on the, adverse effects of smoking is usually unquantified but
implied to be very risky (Viscusi 1991). The analytic problem becomes most acute
when attempts are made to link perception of risk to actual decisions on whether to
smoke. In these there often appears not to be a direct or high correlation between
perceived level of risk and actual behaviour. This has part of its explanation in different
dispositions to risk avoidance. Some individuals are highly risk averse, with low levels
of risk influencing behaviour. Others, whose perception of risk is the same, are more
inclined to accept the risk. Few studies in developing countries appear to have tried to
apply risk analysis to safe sexual behaviour perhaps unsurprisingly given the
difficulties in collecting data on private behaviour in areas which are often culturally
very sensitive.

Whilst there appears no effective antidote, and treatment is relatively costly,
educational programmes targeted at reducing behaviour thought to increase risk are an
obvious option. Much is already being done in providing information packages,
developing curriculum materials, and training teachers in how to introduce the topic.
Evidence on the effectiveness of these efforts is beginning to emerge which indicates
that messages on safe sexual practice do get across, though not necessarily to all
members of target groups. It is argued in the literature that HIV prevention is a gender
issue since seroprevalence rates tend to be much higher amongst certain groups of
young women, the responsibilities of care for AIDS patients often fall on women, and
the role of women in child care means that their health is especially important in
continued reductions in child mortality and reducing the number of orphaned children
(Bassett and Mhloyi 1991, de Bruyn 1992). There is therefore a case to place special
emphasis on the education of girls and women about risk patterns and safe practices,
alongside efforts to encourage men to be more well informed and adopt patterns of
behaviour which reduce the spread of HIV.

The role donors can play in these efforts must be approached very carefully. In many
societies human sexual behaviour is not regarded as a legitimate field with which
governments or donors should concern themselves. Assistance for AIDS/HIV
educational programmes depends on it being possible to agree on appropriate
relationships which are mutually beneficial.

1.3.4 Urbanisation

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