Children Affected by HIV and AIDS

The HIV/AIDS pandemic is having a devastating impact on the well-being of children, particularly in those countries with the highest HIV prevalence rates in sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, and parts of Asia. The virus affects children in multiple ways; they may lose one or both parents and other family members, or become infected with the disease.

Aside from the physical and psychosocial stress associated with the onset of the disease itself and the experience of loss of loved ones, children affected by HIV/AIDS may additionally be subjected to the burden of caring for others, stigma, discrimination, exploitation, abuse, financial hardships, and are less likely to attend school. The social and economic effects of the disease means that areas with high AIDS-related mortality are less able to provide traditional family and community care, protection and basic services for its children.

Children with HIV-positive parents are at a greater risk of being orphaned, abandoned, removed by social services, placed into foster or institutional care, becoming homeless, or left to head households on their own. Orphaned children infected with the virus often have more difficulty obtaining care. Families and communities have rallied to provide kinship care to the large majority of the children who have lost their parents, however families and communities are struggling to cope, physically and financially, with the numbers of children involved. Despite international recognition of the damaging effects of institutional care and its high costs, institutional care has proliferated, often supported by external groups wanting to help. Far too little has been done in such countries to systematically strengthen and support HIV/AIDS-affected families and families caring for orphans, or to develop family-and community-based care for children without adequate family care.

Children should be cared for by their immediate and extended families wherever possible, with support services put in place to avoid abandonment. Regulated kinship, foster care, and local adoption should be developed for children without close relatives. Young people and communities should be provided with information on HIV/AIDS to avoid infection. Adequate medical treatment is needed to enable infected parents to live longer and to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child.

The literature in this section includes background information on countries and projects tackling the crises, including statistics, policy papers, implementation projects, and care options for children orphaned or infected by HIV/AIDS.

Displaying 351 - 360 of 413

Browse Other Topics

First of All... The Social Part of Psycho-Social Support

Andy West, 2005

Emphasizes the social dimensions of psychosocial support interventions, including participatory groupwork and a focus on reducing stigma and discrimination. Argues that psychological interventions such as counseling should never be a first step.

Guide To Monitoring and Evaluation of the National Response for Children Orphaned and Made Vulnerable by HIV/AIDS

Roeland Monasch, Kate Spring, and Mary Mahy, 2005

A guide for governments, international organizations and NGO’s for measuring, monitoring and evaluating the national response for children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS.

Violence Against Children Affected by HIV/AIDS: A Case Study of Uganda

World Vision, 2005

Report documenting participatory research conducted on violence against children affected by HIV/AIDS in Uganda. Particular focus on the stigmatisation and discrimination.

Situational Analysis of Orphans and Children Made Vulnerable by HIV/AIDS in Liberia

Katie Paine and Subah-Belleh Associates, 2005

The first situational analysis of children orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS in Liberia that provides baseline information for developing national planning processes for OVCs.

Guide to Monitoring and Evaluation of the National Response for Children Orphaned and Made Vulnerable by HIV/AIDS

UNICEF, 2005

Guidance on establishing a national monitoring and evaluation process to track a country’s response to children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS. It includes methods and tools for measurement, and recommends a set of core indicators to record national status and changes.

Monitoring and Evaluation: Discovering and Utilizing Sound Practices

Catholic Relief Services and USAID, 2004

This brief outlines Monitoring and Evaluation sound practices of “spot checking” when costs can be prohibitive and the use of “station days”, a participatory method to collect accurate data on children.

Care for Children Affected by HIV/AIDS: The Urgent Need for International Standards

International Social Service and UNICEF, 2004

Brief summary of the role of informal, institutional and child-headed households as a result of the AIDS epidemic. Includes general standards by which to implement good practices in child care.

Challenges Faced By Households in Caring for Orphans and Vulnerable Children

Kerry Vermaak, Nqobile Mavimbela, Jane Chege, and Eka Esu-Williams, 2004

Outlines key findings of survey conducted to investigate the challenges faced by households caring for OVC in South Africa. Conclusion delineates six potential responses to community needs.

Stop Guessing?: A Guide to Monitoring and Evaluation for Community and Faith Based Organizations Working with Children Affected by HIV/AIDS

Kyle Jemison, Joseph Mafara, Emmanuel Makiwa, Matt McGarry, Jennifer Lentfer and Lovemore Tinarwo , 2004

Monitoring and Evaluation and Operations Research guidelines for organizations implementing OVC/Children Affected by AIDS programs.

Child Protection: Children Without Parental Care

UNICEF, 2004

A brief fact sheet on the multilevel support needs of children without parental care. Includes a brief section on statistical data and examples of UNICEF action in several countries around the world.