Save the Children President and CEO Charles MacCormack

Keeping the Promise for Children

Westport, Conn. (December 1, 2006) — On World AIDS Day, it's easy for people to look at the stark numbers - more than 15 million children have lost one or both parents to AIDS, and that number is expected to reach 25 million by 2010 - and be disheartened.  But being an orphan is not the end of everything. 

When governments and communities get involved, children orphaned by AIDS can grow up and make it on their own.

In 1996, Save the Children began working with communities in the Mangochi District of Malawi in southern Africa to focus on the alarming increase in HIV infection and to tackle the growing needs of children whose parents were ill or who had died from the disease.  This was the beginning of our work to provide care and support for children orphaned and affected by AIDS.  That project has been held up as a model by the government and has expanded its influence to many parts of the country.  Children enrolled in the early days have gone on to graduate from school, learn skills and earn an income.  The project has gone on to become a model adopted by other groups and other countries. 

When we launched this work 10 years ago, few governments even noticed the children left behind in the wake of the AIDS crisis.  Now, many governments in countries with high rates of HIV infection - such as Ethiopia, Mozambique and Uganda - have put in place national strategies and policies to ensure orphans and vulnerable children are educated, grow up healthy and have opportunities for their future.

Wealthy nations have also stepped in to offer more support.  In 1996, U.S. government funding for HIV/AIDS was a little more than $100 million.  In 2006, it was close to $3 billion, the largest amount ever approved by Congress.

While these are encouraging steps, more is needed.  Millions of children orphaned and affected by AIDS are still not in school and lack the simplest of life’s necessities – food, shelter, and clothing – along with the emotional support to help them cope with their grief.  Not all pregnant women and new mothers who are HIV-positive are aware of the precautions they can take to prevent the transmission of the disease to their babies.  And millions of youth – the fastest growing population of new infections – still lack basic information and services on HIV prevention that can help them make healthy choices and reduce their risk of infection. 

Around the world today, events will be held, speeches will be made, young and old will speak out – all to remind global leaders of the commitments they've made to fight HIV/AIDS and to encourage them to follow through on their promises.

The scale of the HIV/AIDS response and the resources committed needs to match the scale of the crisis and the growing number of children in need.  While Congress continues to consider allocations for next year’s budget, Americans can help.  They can join Save the Children and the more than 2 million Americans engaged in the ONE Campaign, who are calling on their Members of Congress in support of fully funding the President’s 2007 budget request for global HIV/AIDS programs.