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HIV/AIDS has reached pandemic proportions. Worldwide HIV/AIDS has killed over 20 million, and over 40 million are now living with the virus. The epidemic has orphaned over 18 million children worldwide- 12 million in Africa alone. Zambia has a staggering 16.5% HIV adult prevalence rate, and the adverse effects are being heavily felt by children throughout the country. There are now over half a million AIDS orphans in Zambia, roughly ten percent of all children, and many more are left vulnerable by the virus. In Lusaka alone, the capital of Zambia, approximately 75,000 children are living on the street. As 47.1% of Zambia's total population is under the age of fifteen (compared to 21% in the United States), the socioeconomic ramifications of HIV/AIDS will be felt for years to come.
The task of caring for orphaned and vulnerable children frequently falls upon impoverished and unprepared communities. The reciprocity networks within families and communities are overwhelmed. As surveys indicate, this leads to many communities in Southern Africa feeling that the responsibility of caring for orphaned children lies with the government. Meanwhile governments are often faced with pressing structural problems and are unable to provide sufficient care. Even when institutional orphanage care is available it suffers from under funding (often leading to malnutrition), and from many sociological drawbacks such as neglect, lack of adequate socialization, and a possible lack of education. This shortage of effective care- combined with widespread ignorance of HIV/AIDS and social marginalization- exacerbate the numerous challenges and hardships orphaned and vulnerable children face. This leads to high rates of depression, stress and anxiety, leaves them vulnerable to a higher risk of HIV infection, and financially desperate. They may be driven to hard labor, sex work, crime, or drugs as a means of survival. In worst-case scenarios they may become prey for extremists and terrorist networks.
Needs assessments completed recently in Zambia indicate that food security, health, education, and protection are the major issues at a material level for orphaned and vulnerable children. For example, 31% of children are malnourished and 51.9% of children less than five years of age are stunted in Zambia. Furthermore, preventable illnesses are often left untreated and immunizations not administered to healthy orphans due to assumptions that the children may carry HIV. UNICEF reports that 68% of rural and 32% of urban orphans in Zambia are not enrolled in school. Even those who are fortunate enough to have adult supervision by relatives are, nonetheless, often denied education and made to work full time.
A parent’s death also deprives children of the learning and values they need to become socially knowledgeable and economically productive adults. This breakdown in intergenerational knowledge can play a part in a country’s economic decline.
Human resources are being drained and labor markets distorted by the AIDS-associated deaths of the majority of the working population. This is impeding economic development, diminishing national wealth, and increasing the already high poverty rate.
In summary, millions of Zambian children are suffering from neglect, stigmatization, exploitation, and inadequate education due to HIV/AIDS. This in turn is adversely affecting Zambian society and its economy. An extensive and increased effort by the international community is required to resolve this growing crisis on all fronts. In Zambia, volunteer associations, churches and Non-Governmental Organizations are overwhelmed, reporting that they are only able to assist seven percent of children requiring aid. More effective care is a necessity to assist orphaned and vulnerable children and to prevent further social and economic breakdowns. Interventions must be low cost, community centered, sustainable and easily replicated in order to both effectively care for the orphans, and to begin to turn the tide in the fight against AIDS in Zambia.
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