Memorandum submitted by UK Consortium
on AIDS and International Development's Working Group on Orphans
and Vulnerable Children[118]
1. More than 14 million children under the
age of 15 have lost their mother or father or both parents to
AIDS, and that number is projected to reach 25 million by 2010.
Nearly 80% of these orphans live in sub-Saharan Africa and the
number of double orphans alone in Africa is predicted to increase
by 180% from 1990 and reach a staggering 7.8 million by 2010.
In addition to those children orphaned, there are millions more
children who are highly vulnerable because their parents are suffering
from AIDS or because their families are heavily affected by the
epidemic. There are also more than 3 million children globally
living with HIV/AIDS. While the crisis is most acute in sub-Saharan
Africa, the situation is worsening rapidly in Asia and Eastern
Europe. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is also exacerbating the already
precarious situation of older people and is placing new and difficult
burdens on them, depleting their already scarce resources.
2. The Working Group on Orphans and Vulnerable
Children of the UK Consortium on AIDS and International Development
welcomes this opportunity to submit a statement to the International
Development Committee. The issue of children orphaned and made
vulnerable by HIV/AIDS is emerging as the dominant child development
issue in many parts of the developing world.
3. The Working Group on OVC is newly formed
(March 2004) and comprises 11 UK based international agencies
working, inter alia, for the rights of children and their
families and carers affected by HIV/AIDS around the world. The
group aims to provide technical support to DfID, the EU, the United
Nations, and bilateral donors in the development of HIV/AIDS related
policies and strategies.
4. IN THIS
CAPACITY THE
WORKING GROUP
CALLS UPON
DFID TO:
4.1 Make specific provisions for Orphans
and Vulnerable Children and their caregivers in its HIV/AIDS strategy.
The UK's Call for Action on HIV/AIDS (December
2003) acknowledges the impact of HIV/AIDS on orphans and vulnerable
children and their caregivers—many of whom are older grandparents.
However, the Call for Action lacks any emphasis on developing
policies and programmes to support this marginalised group of
children or their carers. DfID's strategy to deal with the HIV/AIDS
epidemic is unlikely to be successful unless it includes specific
actions to support orphans and vulnerable children, their caregivers,
families and communities. While DfID has committed over £270
million between 2002-03 for combating AIDS globally, it currently
makes no specific allocation for OVC. Conversely, the US administration
is the only country to have specifically allocated resources to
OVC. The Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
proposes to provide $15 billion in bilateral payments to 14 countries,
of which 10% is allocated to OVC.
4.2 Make time bound, measurable and resourced
plans for the UK's implementation of its commitments to children
orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS.
The United Nations Declaration of Commitment
on HIV/AIDS (2001) commits member states to ". . .provide
a supportive environment for orphans and vulnerable girls and
boys infected and affected by AIDS" and urges "particularly
donor countries, . . . to complement effectively national programmes
to support programmes for children orphaned and made vulnerable
by HIV/AIDS" (Paragraphs 65-67). The UK government has yet
to fulfil its commitments under this Declaration and to provide
this much needed support to countries tackling the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
DfID must support the inclusion of OVC as a priority issue in
policy documents such as DfID's Country Assistance Plans and programming
guidelines, as well as in Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, which
guide resource allocations made by DfID Field Offices. The UK
government must also ensure that DfID support for national governments
enables them to implement the Declaration of Commitment. DfID
should monitor its support to OVC and their carers and include
progress reports in its Annual Report.
4.3 Implement the recommendations of
the global strategic Framework for the Protection, Care and Support
of Orphans and Vulnerable Children Living in a World with HIV/AIDS.
In late 2003, DfID endorsed in principle the
Framework for the Protection, Care and Support of Orphans and
Vulnerable Children Living in a World with HIV/AIDS. The framework—endorsed
by faith-based and non-governmental organisations, academic institutions,
the private sector and civil society—provides principles,
strategies and programming guidance for countries to be able to
meet the established global goals regarding OVC; principally Article
65 of the UN Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, and makes
it clear that a long-term commitment of support to local community
level initiatives is needed. It focuses on providing direct support
to families and communities including ensuring that children orphaned
or affected by HIV/AIDS have equal access to essential services,
particularly schooling, and that they live and grow up in protective
environments.
4.4 Provide leadership in the International
Community to focus global attention and resources on orphans and
vulnerable children and their caregivers.
With the UK presidencies of the G7 and the EU
in 2005, there is a unique opportunity for the British government
to position itself as a global leader in the support of this growing
and highly marginalised group of children. The first step is the
development of EU and G8 level responses to the UN Declaration
of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, especially Article 65, and ensuring
these responses feature on the agenda at an early stage in the
UK presidency.
March 2004
118 The Working Group on Orphans and Vulnerable Children
consists of Amref, British Red Cross, Cafod, Christian Aid, European
Forum on HIV/AIDS, Children, Young People and Families, HelpAge
International, Hope HIV, International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Save
the Children UK, Tearfund, UNICEF UK, World Conference of Religions
for Peace, and World Vision UK. Back
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