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Orphans of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The time to act is now

Orphans

Orphans of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The time to act is now

One of the most tragic consequences of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is the huge number of children orphaned as a result of parents dying from AIDS. (Some of these children are HIV-positive themselves - having been infected by their mothers either at birth or through breast milk.)

In South Africa up to now the number of these orphans has been increasing quite slowly and from a low base - and hence has attracted relatively little attention to date. South Africa’s AIDS epidemic is still in its early stages relative to other African countries, and the levels of orphanhood seen elsewhere in  Africa have yet to be experienced in this country. As the epidemic matures and AIDS mortality increases, the number of orphans is predicted to rise dramatically.

View the complete Orphans of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The time to act is now Policy Brief

1 May 2002