Save the Children Launches New Report on the Impact of HIV/AIDS on Asian Children

Save the Children Launches New Report on the Impact of HIV/AIDS on Asian Children

April 05, 2006

    BANGKOK, April 5 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- A new Save the
Children report released today shows the extent to which a
generation of Asian children are growing up with little
hope or happiness due to the impact of HIV/AIDS. 

    The report, Small Also Have Something to Say,
highlights the plight of the growing number of children in
the region who are infected by HIV/AIDS, have lost one or
both parents to the disease or are caring for sick family
members.   
    Children in all six countries studied told how they had
to drop out of school to work or care for sick family
members and how they experience discrimination and serious
poverty as a result of HIV/AIDS.  The report also shows how
the epidemic places children at increased risks of substance
abuse, becoming street children, trafficking and other forms
of exploitation. 

    Elaine Ireland, Regional HIV/AIDS Adviser for Southeast
and East Asia, said: "This report shows that the
HIV/AIDS epidemic is a swiftly escalating disaster for
children in Asia, resulting in extreme poverty,
exploitation and emotional turmoil.  Communities, donors,
governments, non-government organisations and UN
organisations must increase their funding and do more to
help children affected by HIV/AIDS."  

    Recommendations from the report include: 

    -- Improving access to care and support services   

    -- Improving awareness of prevention and risk by making
HIV information 
       and education programmes more widely available and
child friendly 

    -- Increasing the availability and accessibility of
prevention of mother 
       to child transmission (PMTCT) services,
anti-retroviral therapy (ART) 
       and voluntary counselling and testing (VCT)  

    -- Improving health care services in poor and remote
areas   

    -- Implementing appropriate fostering systems for
orphaned children  

    Notes to editors:

    -- The report, Small Also Have Something to Say, is
based on interviews with nearly 1,600 children and over 600
adults in China, Myanmar, Lao DPR, Vietnam, Cambodia and
Thailand. 

    -- HIV/AIDS Affected children's voices will be
presented by

       -- Dr. Soe Naing, Myanmar HIV programme Manager; Pa
Pa Win Htin, 
          Myanmar research coordinator; and one project
staff member from the 
          field 

       -- Chen Qiang, China research coordinator 

       -- Nancy Sunarno, Indonesia research coordinator 

       -- Napat Phisanbut, Thailand coordinator for
research in tsunami 
          affected areas  

       -- Leigh Vickery, Laos Country Programme Director
and Keophoutane, Laos 
          research coordinator 

       -- Lyn Mason Cambodia Deputy Director and Ly Yasak,
Cambodia research 
          officer. 

    -- Save the Children fights for vulnerable children in
the UK and around the World who suffer from poverty,
disease, injustice and violence, working with them to find
lifelong answers to the problems they face.

    -- For more information about Save the Children, please
visit the website: http://www.savethechildren.org.uk .  

    For more information, please contact: 

     Save the Children 
     South-East and East Asia Regional Office          
     Tel:   [phone] x88 

     Elaine Ireland, Regional HIV/AIDS Adviser             
   
     Tel:   [phone]  
     Email: [e-mail] 

     Kullwadee Sumalnop, Regional Communication Officer    
  
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

SOURCE  Save the Children