AIDS Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC): Problems, Responses, and Issues for Congress

Abstract

Since HIV/AIDS was discovered in 1981, more than 20 million people have lost their lives to the virus. Over 40 million are currently living with HIV/AIDS, including nearly 3 million children under the age of 15. Ninety-five percent of those living with the virus reside in developing countries. In Africa, more than 7,000 young people are infected every day, 2,000 of whom are under the age of 15. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) have estimated that at the end of 2001, 13.4 million children under the age of 15 had lost one or both parents to AIDS, with the majority (82%) in sub-Saharan Africa.1 Two million children lost their parents due to AIDS in 2000, orphaning a child every 14 seconds that year. By 2010, it is expected that more than 25 million children will be orphaned by this deadly virus. Due to the 10-year time lag between HIV-infection and death, officials predict that orphan populations will continue to rise for a similar period, even after the HIV rate begins to decline. Experts say only massive spending to prolong the lives of parents could be expected to change this trend. The impact of HIV/AIDS on children is just beginning to be explored. Not only are children orphaned by AIDS affected by the virus, but those who live in homes that have taken in orphans, children with little education and resources, and those living in areas with high HIV rates are also impacted. Children who have been orphaned by AIDS may be forced to leave school, engage in labor or prostitution, suffer from depression and anger, or engage in risky behavior like survival sex, making them vulnerable contracting HIV. Also, children who live in homes that take in orphans may see a decline in the quantity and quality of food, education, love, nurturing, and may be stigmatized. Impoverished children living in households with one or more ill parent are also affected, as an increasing amount of money is spent on health care, which frequently leads to the depletion of savings and other resources reserved for education, food, and other purposes. The plight of children affected by HIV/AIDS has gained greater congressional attention, particularly through P.L. 108-25, which authorizes 10% of HIV/AIDS funds to be used for children orphaned or made vulnerable by the virus. As the U.S. increases its funding for HIV/AIDS initiatives, many are calling for it to streamline its activities. Some are calling for a senior position in the AIDS Coordinator office, to ensure that programs that affect this vulnerable population complement each other and conserve spending. Still others want the scope to be broadened, arguing that those who are orphaned from other causes are just as vulnerable as children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. This report explores some of the challenges facing children affected by HIV/AIDS and governments with large populations of those children, reviews U.S. and international efforts to address the needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS, and outlines some key issues that may be considered by Congress. This report will be updated.