Protecting children affected by HIV and AIDS

Protecting children affected by HIV and AIDS

An important first step to protecting children and their families is to encourage people to find out their HIV status through testing. We support mobile testing services and clinics in Amhara region, Ethiopia, which helped 5,600 people test for HIV.

Around 9% of those people tested were found to be HIV positive, and 75% of those found to be positive were referred for antiretroviral treatment.

A hygiene kit supplied to children who care for relatives with HIV and AIDS. The kit supplied by Save the Children contains items such as gloves, soap and bleach to minimise the chances of carers becoming infected with HIV. Photo credit: Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi.

Ninety per cent of HIV-positive children are infected because pregnant women do not have access to HIV and AIDS prevention services. In Myanmar, more than 16,000 patients were diagnosed and treated for sexually transmitted infections at 11 Save the Children-supported clinics - double the number of patients from the previous year.

More than 84% of the patients tested were women. More than 1,400 pregnant women were also provided with the opportunity to be tested for HIV, leading to an increase in the number of pregnant women taking the test in the areas we work in over the past year from 29% to 98%.

Confidential counselling and testing of pregnant women and their partners has led to early detection of HIV infection and ensures there is adequate preparation for a safe delivery to prevent mother-to-child transmission. The newborn babies are given Nevirapine, which reduces HIV infection.

More than one million children have been left orphaned by the AIDS epidemic in South Africa. Without the support of their parents, these children are less able to get nutritious food and important services, such as healthcare, and are more vulnerable to exploitation.

Over the past year we've established 15 new Child Care Forums in South Africa, bringing the total number to 98. These community groups have developed ways to identify and provide care for vulnerable and orphaned children.

Our methods have been so successful that the South African Department of Social Development has based its own model on ours, which could lead to millions more children being protected in the future.

We are also co-ordinating the national Caring Schools network, a network of 56 local organisations, which works with schools to provide care and protection for vulnerable children.The number of schools participating in our district programme has increased from 20 to 75 in the past year.

Overall, our work has ensured that 40,381 children affected by HIV and AIDS or poverty received at least one service in line with their rights according to the South African constitution, such as food parcels or healthcare referrals.