Care and Support for AIDS Orphans

There were 14.8 million children orphaned by AIDS living in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2009, an increase from 8.9 million in 2001. Nearly 60% of these orphans lived in the high-prevalence countries of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia (UNAIDS 2010, p. 186). The surge in the number of children who lost either one or both parents is putting great strains on the welfare and development of children and the overall socioeconomic development of countries. Children orphaned by AIDS suffer not only from lack of parental love and care but also from stigma and discrimination by the community at large. A study of 1,480 community-based and 192 institution-based caregivers in five countries including Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Kenya found that 25% of the caregivers harbored feelings of stigma regarding AIDS, which in turn may affect their relations with the orphans for whom they care (Messer et al. 2010). These findings indicate that the willingness of extended families to care for and support AIDS orphans is highly complicated, often resulting in child mobility, exploitation, and neglect. The welfare and livelihood of orphaned children are further jeopardized by stigma and discrimination that discourage them from accessing basic services such as health care and welfare services (Richter 2010; Smart 2003).