Global Situation of Orphans and Vulnerable Children in the Context of HIVAIDS

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Global Situation of Orphans and Vulnerable
Children in the Context of HIV/AIDS

• La Situation des Orphelins et Enfants
  Vulnérables dans le contexte du VIH/SIDA
• Suzi Peel, FHI

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The Problem

• Emergency
• children need care immediately
• Magnitude
• 15 million children orphaned by AIDS
• Duration
• 15 year lag between peak in sero-prevalence and
  peak in orphaning

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Who are we working for?Pour qui travaillons-nous?

• Children
• 0 18 years
• Vulnerable
• 1 or 2 parents living with HIV or AIDS
• Children infected by HIV
• Children in a family caring for an orphan
• Children in a highly affected community
• Orphan
• 1 or 2 parents deceased due to AIDS

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The Problem 2

• Impacts of HIV/AIDS on families with children are
  numerous
• Economic
• Education and learning a livelihood
• Psychological
• Family fabric
• Nutrition
• Vulnerability to HIV infection

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The Un-met Needs

• School materials, uniforms, fees
• Healthcare expenses
• Food
• Clothes
• Other needs

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The Response

• Communities across Africa are responding
• In West and Central Africa about 90 of OVC are
  being cared for by extended families
• But only 1 to 30 of all households caring for
  orphans and vulnerable children are being reached
  with any services

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What we must do 1 Ce que nous devons faire 1

• Keep parents alive
• Keep children in extended families
• Keep children in familiar surroundings
• Keep siblings together
• Strengthen capacity of families
• Strengthen local community responses

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What we must do 2 Ce que nous devons faire 2

• Ensure access for OVC to essential services
  including education, health care, birth
  registration, and so on
• Ensure all children are registered at birth
• Ensure orphans and vulnerable children go to
  school
• Ensure OVC have access to food and nutrition
• Ensure OVC receive the local standard of
  healthcare

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What we must do 3Ce que nous devons faire 3

• Care for children infected by HIV
• Work within the family with an HIV parent
• Identify vulnerable children who may be living
  with HIV
• Refer HIV children for care and treatment

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What we must do 4Ce que nous devons faire 4

• Strengthen national framework and support to OVC
• Ensure that our governments protect the most
  vulnerable children
• Through improved policy and legislation
• By channeling resources to communities

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• We must all do more, and do it better
  and faster
• Nous devons tous faire plus, et le faire
  mieux, et plus vite