Publications

Orphans and Other Children Affected by HIV/AIDS

Author: UNICEF
Price: Free
No. of pages: 4
Publication date: September 2003
Publisher: UNICEF
Languages: English (French, Spanish) - available as a PDF only

Available in the following formats:

[PDF]

By 2003, 14 million children under 15 had lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS. By 2010, more than one and a half times that number are likely to become orphaned as a result of the disease. Sub-Saharan Africa is most affected; it is home to four out of five children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Orphans are more likely to be poor, abused and at risk of HIV infection, and to suffer psychosocial distress. They are less likely to go to school and to be healthy. This fact sheet outlines the scale of the problem and key strategies being used by UNICEF and partners to protect these most vulnerable children.