Protection, care and support
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© UNICEF/IDSA00013 |
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Public awareness campaigns attack stigma and its impact on people with HIV or AIDS in Indonesia |
The Issues
As HIV spreads in the region, millions of children will need protection, care and support in dealing with the social and economic consequences of the virus.
- Pervasive stigma and discrimination. Affected children endure many hardships because of stigma and discrimination: poverty, neglect, psychosocial distress, loss of inheritance and educational opportunities, sexual abuse and exploitation, hazardous labour and social isolation. Many affected children also are at risk of contracting HIV because of these circumstances.
- Inadequate social welfare systems. Social welfare systems in our region can barely accommodate the current number of orphans, let alone a rise in the number of children orphaned because of AIDS.
- Reliance on institutional care. Institutional care is the last resort for children, but many countries rely heavily on it. Children in institutions are frequently denied individual attention and affection, which harms their long-term development. In worst-case scenarios, children are subjected to abuse and exploitation within institutional walls.
- Widening social and economic gaps. By fuelling poverty, human trafficking and sexual exploitation, disparities present serious challenges in providing care, support and protection to all children.
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Monks play a positive role in AIDS awareness campaigns in China |
UNICEF in Action
UNICEF seeks to improve the protection, care and support of children affected by HIV or AIDS by taking these actions:
- Calling on governments to endorse and put into immediate action The Framework for the Protection, Care and Support of Orphans and Vulnerable Children Living in a World with HIV/AIDS;
- Advocating community-based and multisector approaches to providing support and care for children affected by HIV or AIDS and their families;
- Advocating that institutional care be used only as the last resort, or as a temporary solution, and focusing on community-based care; and
- Combating stigma and discrimination through government leadership, legal reform, public awareness campaigns and peer education.
