Children Orphaned & made Vulnerable by HIV/AIDS

A meeting to discuss and explore key policy issues in India

10th September 2004

Dr. Balwant Singh

Purpose of Meeting

• To outline the national policy review being undertaken by Alliance India and MAMTA;

• To map the policy priorities and initiatives of key stakeholders;

• To identify areas for further policy work and ways of strengthening collaboration.

Children Orphaned and Vulnerable

by HIV/AIDS: Situation in India • About 200 000 children <15 years living

with HIV/AIDS • Every year approx 22,000 newborn

children acquire HIV• 2 million children < 15 years have lost

their parents to AIDS• One third of children born to women

living with HIV become infected - with ARVs, the risk of transmission can be halved

Sources: UNAIDS, UNICEF and USAID, Children on the Brink,

2002 & 2004; Human Rights Watch, Future Forsaken, 2004.

India HIV/AIDS Alliance

Goal, Purpose & Outcomes Goal: reduced spread of HIV and

impacts of AIDS mitigated

Purpose: Increased community action for-and access to – prevention, care and

impact mitigation efforts

Outcome 1: Improved coverage of effective community focused AIDS efforts

Outcome 2: Strengthened leadership and capacity of civil society to respond to

AIDS

Outcome 3: Improved institutional,

organisational and policy environment for community

AIDS responses

Our Network of Partners MAMTA

4 Districts in Delhi7 Implementing NGOs

Alliance India: Andhra Pradesh LEPRA India 14 districts, 24 NGOs

Vasavya Mahila Mandali 9 Districts in Andhra

Pradesh 10 Implementing NGOs

Palmyrah Workers Development Society

13 Districts in Tamil Nadu20 Implementing NGOs

Programmes of Alliance India Home and Community based care & support • More than 27,000 children and families affected by HIV/AIDS • More than 1800 families being supported by various income

generation activities

Focused prevention programme • Covers approx. 22000 female sex workers, 10,000 MSM and

460,000 clients of sex workers• Also focuses on IDU & PLHA

Child-centred programme • To promote child rights and children’s participation

• To address their health, educational, psychosocial and other needs

Working with Children: Key Values

• Children are best cared for in their own homes and communities

• Children’s rights should be respected and upheld, especially the right to participation

• Children have emotional needs as well as physical needs

• Respect, recognise and realise the rights of children

Child-Centred Programme

Improve coverage of community efforts • 117 children fostered by communities • 76 children clubs for recreational activities • Handful rice approach adopted by several

communities Strengthen leadership and capacities • Children’s working groups to build

leadership qualities • Child-to-child approaches to make

programme more child friendly Improve policy environment • Review of national policies on children

and HIV/AIDS

Policy Context & Background

• The national policy on children stresses role of the state in providing adequate services to children to ensure development

translating these into implementation is still a challenge

• National charter for children secures child rights

no mention of HIV/AIDS and mitigating the impact on a child’s development

• No specific policy on children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS

Strategies and Recommendations to

Consider • Prolong the lives of parents by building the capacity of families

• Support community based responses to provide long term assistance

• Protect vulnerable children through improved policy and legislation

• Care and protection of children in the NACP III

• NACO to provide greater leadership to states on preventing and addressing discrimination

Source: Children on the brink 2004 and Future forsaken-human rights watch 2004

Child-Centred Policy ReviewIn collaboration with MAMTA

Purpose:

To identify the gaps in policies that deny children affected by

HIV/AIDS the right to adequate support

Process:

To review, analyze and assess the existence and nature of child

related policies relating to HIV/AIDS

Outcome:

To propose recommendations for policy dialogue and action at

the state and national levels

Thank You