Memorandum submitted by the UK Consortium
on AIDS and International Development, Working Group on Orphans
and Vulnerable Children[30]
RE: IDC EVIDENCE SESSION ON CHILDREN HIV
AND AIDS IN 2007
The Orphans and Vulnerable Children Working
Group, of the UK Consortium on AIDS and International Development,
was delighted when, in July 2004, DFID agreed to make support
for Orphans and Vulnerable Children a cornerstone of its AIDS
Strategy, "Taking Action". lndeed they agreed to earmark
at least £150 million over the next three years to address
the needs of children affected by HIV and AIDS. This specific
commitment was included in no small part due to the recommendations
made by the International Development Committee to the Secretary
of State, based on the evidence session held in May 2004, just
prior to the launch of "Taking Action".
The situation currently faced by millions of
children, particularly in countries in sub-Saharan Africa has
only improved marginally:
— An estimated 12 million children
in sub-Saharan Africa have lost one or both parents to AIDS[31].
Many more children have been made vulnerable including: those
children whose parents are living with HIV and AIDS, non-orphans
in households caring for orphans, and children living with HIV
and AIDS.
— 2.3 million children are living with
HIV worldwide, over 90% of these live in sub-Saharan Africa and
the majority have limited access to any form of care or treatment[32].
— Children under 15 account for one
in six AIDS-related deaths worldwide and one in seven new HIV
infections.
— In 2006 an estimated 530,000 children
were newly infected with HIV, the vast majority of these through
mother-to-child transmission (MTCT)[33].
This is equivalent to one child being newly infected with HIV
every minute of every day.
— By May 2006, on average only 35%
of total budgets had been pledged for 14 national plans of action
on orphans and vulnerable children in the worst affected countries.
There is no doubt that the UK Government has
shown excellent global leadership, especially within the G8 and
at the UN, in putting the issue of children and AIDS on the global
agenda. There is also no doubt that some progress has been made
in several of the countries where children have been most affected
by AIDS, especially in East and southern Africa. However, the
picture at country-level is quite patchy and it is often not possible
to see that resources have reached the children in need. There
is still a long way to go before the majority of children made
vulnerable by HIV and AIDS have their rights and needs met.
The Department for International Development
will be launching in May a consultation process leading to the
revision of the "Taking Action" AIDS strategy, which
is expected to be launched on 1st December. It is critically important
that the revised strategy continues to explicitly prioritise the
rights and needs of children affected by HIV and AIDS.
We are writing to you on behalf of the 28 members
of the Orphans and Vulnerable Children's Working Group to request
that the International Development Committee considers holding
an evidence session on the issue of children and HIV and AIDS,
to identify the progress that has been made since the last evidence
session.
Christina D' AIlesandro and
Stuart Kean
Co-chairs, Working Group on Orphans and Vulnerable
Children
23 April 2007
30 Members of The Working Group on Orphans and Vulnerable
Children: Amref, British Red Cross, Cafod, Care International,
Child Hope, Christian Aid, Consortium for Street Children, Egmont
Trust, Healthlink, HelpAge International, Hope HIv, International
HIV/AIDS Alliance, Learning for Life, Mildmay International, Plan
UK, Religions for Peace UK, Samaritan's Purse International Relief,
Save the Children UK, SOS Children's Villages, Street Child Africa,
Tearfund, Uganda AIDS Action Fund, UNICEF UK, VSO and World Vision
UK. Back
31
"Africa's Orphaned and Vulnerable Generations: Children Affected
by AIDS." compiled by UNICEF, UNAIDS and the US. President's
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Back
32
UNAIDS and WHO, AIDS Epidemic Update: December 2005, op. cit. Back
33
UNAIDS Report on the global AIDS epidemic 2006 Back
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