Angola starts actions in favor of OVCs
In Angola, 15% of all orphans are due to HIV/AIDS
This RAAAP is a follow-up to the first Forum on Early Childhood care and development commitment number 2, to accelerate the implementation of the plan of action for the orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), protecting their rights, supporting their families, facilitating their access to basic services and creating an environment of non-discrimination. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Social Affairs, with UNICEF support, the RAAAP is carried out by the Catholic University Scientific Centre for Studies and Investigation and the participation of a technical coordination group integrated by other State organs, the UN, local and international NGOs and faith organizations. 2001 UNAIDS data states that in Angola 15% of all orphans are due to HIV/AIDS. This figure can increase up to 24 and 34%, respectively, till 2005 and 2010, which means that in 2005 Angola may have 197.000 and in 2010, 331.000 HIV/AIDS orphans. “I believe that we still can prevent the catastrophe of an Angolan orphan crisis, reducing the factors of vulnerability,” Mario Ferrari, UNICEF Angola Representative said. “Although the Sero-prevalence rate in the country is still relatively low, we need to know better the impact of HIV/AIDS, to better fit the policies and strategies of response to the problem,” he added. UN organizations, local and International NGOs are developing activities with HIV infected people (adults and children), but exact data on children orphans, infected and affected by the pandemics is not available. The limited scale of current actions doesn´t provoke any relevant impact to respond to the problem. The focus on the label “OVC” (AIDS Orphans) originates a negative impact and makes the problem worse. “It is noticed that many children infected or affected (sons and daughters of HIV/AIDS infected people) are discriminated, abandoned and separated from the family environment, violating their rights,” Maria da Luz Magalhães, Vice-Minister of Social Affairs warned. Thus, only when the problematic situation fits in with broader National policies, becomes possible an adequate response and the needed resources allocation. This rapid analysis will allow the knowledge of the situation of orphans and other vulnerable children, to have enough perception of qualitative and quantitative responses to the OVCs, towards a definition of urgent actions to meet the needs of those children. This process is part of the activities of the Angolan Government and its partners in the framework of the programme strategy for the Global Campaign “Children and AIDS”. On the communications strategy, UNICEF Angola and UNAIDS launched a press note on the 25th October to create a working environment for the campaign in the country and UNICEF is working with Clear Channel to launch the public outdoor with the child’s winning drawing and the official logo of the campaign "Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS". For further information please contact:
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