The HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa has already orphaned a generation of children – and now seems set to orphan generations more. Today, over 11 million children under the age of 15 living in sub-Saharan Africa have been robbed of one or both parents by HIV/AIDS. Seven years from now, the number is expected to have grown to 20 million. At that point, anywhere from 15 per cent to over 25 per cent of the children in a dozen sub-Saharan African countries will be orphans – the vast majority of them will have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Africa’s Orphaned Generations reports on the life circumstances of today’s orphans with new data and fresh analyses. It presents the possibility of change – for those already orphaned and for the generation to come – if certain things are done now.
Tragically, the number of orphans in sub-Saharan Africa will continue to rise in the years ahead, due to the high proportion of sub-Saharan African adults already living with HIV/AIDS and the continuing difficulties in expanding access to life-prolonging antiretroviral treatment. But, it is not inevitable that these children should be left to suffer twice, denied their rights because they are orphaned. Africa’s Orphaned Generations presents a strategy for ensuring that all of Africa’s orphaned children have a safe, healthy and well-educated childhood, establishing the foundation for a productive adult life and for their countries’ overall development. It encourages hope in the face of an epic disaster.
©UNICEF
