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Make children more central in the HIV debate

By Indi Mclymont Lafayette, Panos Caribbean

Toronto, 17 August 2006 (Panos). Almost twenty per cent of people dying of HIV/AIDS are children (up to 14 years old). And globally they make up 14 per cent of new HIV infections. Yet, if the critics are right, the issues concerning children are largely being neglected in the HIV discussions.

“The children are still largely invisible,” said Professor Linda Richter, co-author of a recently launched report on young children and HIV called, Where the Heart is. “When addressing the treatment, care and support of adults, we are not looking at the issues of the children. We have to address it in a more holistic, integrated way – linking the adult response to the child.”

“For example, most mothers would rather give the antiretroviral drugs to their child than take it for themselves. What does this mean for the family? These are issues that we have to look at from many different angles,” she said.

According to Ruth Nduati, associate professor of paediatrics in Nairobi, because kids do not make significant economic contributions their value is not as immediately recognized.

“Since kids are not wage earners, their needs are not prioritized,” said Nduati, while explaining that more attention was given to adults who could earn incomes and be more productive to society.

While highlighting a ten point plan for immediate intervention, Nduati listed the following:

- To bridge the service delivery gap of services to children infected and affected by HIV;

- To prioritize access to antiretroviral (ARVs) drugs for children. There are about 600,000 children under 14 in need of ARVs.

- To properly train health workers, families and communities to address the needs of infected and affected children.

“No matter what your resources, there is always something to be done for the child living with HIV,” said Nduati, while addressing the third plenary session at the 16th Global AIDS conference in Toronto.

“The risk of death for an HIV infected or affected child is halved if the mother stays alive. Care of HIV infected child must include care of mothers and families,” she said to loud applause. Child mortality is 29 times higher in Sub-Saharan Africa than in developed countries.

Apart from high mortality rates, children affected and infected by HIV also face a number of other risks. Jayapaul Sundersigh, while presenting on the situation in India, listed those risks as – higher rates of school dropouts, child labour, early marriage, domestic violence, sexual abuse and discrimination.

“We have to address the psychosocial needs, the support and life skills that these children need,” he said. “We have to involve them in designing and implementing projects that benefit them. We have to build the capacity of mothers, grandmothers and the children themselves if we want to make a difference in their lives.”