HIV/AIDS UPDATE

New HIV/AIDS data reveals gravity of situation for children in Asia and the Pacific

More than 1.5 million children in Asia and the Pacific are now orphaned by AIDS, according to new regional data, making protection, care and support efforts for children more urgent than ever.

The data on orphans was revealed at a satellite session on children and HIV/AIDS in Asia and the Pacific organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Family Health International (FHI) and Save the Children UK during the International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific which took place in Kobe, Japan on July 3, 2005.

“This regional data will further help us to target our actions and to get to grips with the magnitude of the problem regarding children in Asia and the Pacific. Accurate data at local, national and regional levels is crucial to how we manage our collective response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic,” said Anupama Rao Singh, Regional Director of UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office.

In addition to those orphaned by AIDS, another 121,000 children were estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS in Asia and the Pacific by the end of 2004, with an estimated 47,000 children newly infected last year alone.

For children infected with the virus, the treatment situation is bleak. While almost 35,000 children are in need of antiretroviral drugs in Asia and the Pacific, only a small fraction is currently receiving treatment. Similarly, more than one quarter of a million children are in need of Cotrimoxazole, a cost-efficient antibiotic which helps prevents HIV-related infections. Only a few are actual beneficiaries.

While the number of children orphaned by AIDS is alarming, they represent only a segment of those affected by HIV/AIDS. Many more children in Asia and the Pacific are thought to be living with sick and dying parents or relatives and are at risk of losing their caregivers. Failure to accelerate regional efforts to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on children raises the risk that more children will fall through the cracks and face barriers in accessing education, health care and other basic services.

At the satellite session, UNICEF, FHI and Save the Children UK called for urgent implementation of the Framework for the Protection, Care and Support of Orphans and Vulnerable Children Living in a World with HIV/AIDS. The Framework, drawn up in July 2004, provides five key strategies to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on children.

The three organizations urged governments to make care and treatment services for children available, affordable and accessible. “We also need to urgently address the issue of stigma, which continues to penalize children living with HIV/AIDS or affected by it,” said Rao Singh.

Most governments in the region have yet to develop national policies and strategies aimed at addressing the issue of HIV/AIDS and children. Only a few countries have a national strategy for the protection and care of children orphaned or made vulnerable by AIDS or for comprehensive care for HIV-positive children and families.

The Framework for the Protection, Care and Support of Orphans and Vulnerable children living in a world with HIV/AIDS, was drawn up in collaboration with a broad array of government agencies, faith-based and non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, the private sector and civil society.

The framework key’s strategies are as follows:

Strengthen the capacity of families to protect and care for orphans and vulnerable children, prolonging the lives of parents and providing economic, psychosocial and other support;
Support community-based initiatives;
Ensure access for orphans and vulnerable children to essential services, including education, health care, birth registration and others;
Ensure that governments protect the most vulnerable children through improved policy and legislation and by channeling resources to families and communities; and
Raise awareness at all levels through advocacy to create a supportive environment for children and families affected by HIV/AIDS.

Source ~ UNICEF, July 3, 2005

This buletin is produced quarterly by the APPA secretariat

Latest Bulletin: Aug-Sep-Oct 2005 Vol 43, No 15

(will be updated soon)

May- June-July 2005

Vol. 42, No 14

Content:
EAPRO Consultation Concludes: Violence is Not Inevitable

Aircraft Noise May Affect Children’s Learning

WHO/UNICEF Global Immunization Strategy That Aims to Avert Millions of Deaths

New HIV/AIDS data reveals gravity of situation for children in Asia and the Pacific

‘A’ Rating For 95 Percent Attendance Ratio In Malaysia

Baby clues to obesity

Leading Paediatricians In Asia

Dr. Afroze Ramazan Sherali

Reports from member societies

Activities Of The Philippine Pediatric Society

Indian Academy Of Pediatrics Activities

Updated 11th January 2006