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| The future looks brighter for children like Madala, 3, who lost his father to AIDS. He goes to a Save the Children pre-school in Malawi. |
More than 15 million children will mark December 1st - World AIDS Day – this year without one or both of their parents. Just a decade ago, children orphaned and affected by AIDS had few options and little resources for coping with the circumstances they faced.
But, today, these children have reason to hope thanks to bold actions governments and communities are taking to make certain that children are not overlooked in the fight against AIDS.
The global community now is more aware of what hinders and helps these children as they navigate their way through life. Communities have bonded together to ensure that children who are orphaned or caring for a sick parent are healthy, stay in school and are protected. And, in countries significantly touched by the global epidemic, governments have instituted national guidelines for helping children affected by AIDS, and established grassroots networks to boost local response.
While poor nations and communities are leading the way in helping these children, more resources are needed for them to reach the growing numbers of children living in communities hit hard by AIDS. In the past five years, wealthy nations, including the United States, have stepped up their commitments to substantially invest in prevention and treatment programs, and measures to help children made vulnerable by AIDS. Legislation that provided for the U.S. contribution to the fight against AIDS – the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) – will be up for debate in Congress early next year.
