Bloggers Unite - Children and AIDS

UNICEF recently reported, “in 2007, it was estimated that 2.1 million children under 15 years old were living with HIV, 290,000 children died of AIDS and 420,000 children were newly infected. Over 15 million children under 18 have lost one or both parents to AIDS, and millions more have been made vulnerable. Children affected by HIV and AIDS may experience poverty, homelessness, school drop-out, discrimination, loss of life opportunity, and early death.” Those are shocking statistics.

Nine out of ten children living with HIV live in Sub-Saharan Africa, the region of the world where AIDS has taken its greatest toll. Large numbers of children with HIV also live in the Caribbean, Latin America and South/South East Asia. Around 90% of all children living with HIV acquired the infection from their mothers during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding. Many countries that had previously seen child-survival rates rise, as a result of improved healthcare, are now seeing these rates fall again. In Botswana and Zimbabwe, for instance, child mortality rates have nearly doubled since 1990.

Lest you think this is an issue that does not directly affect us here in the United States, AIDS has been the sixth leading cause of death in the United States among 15- to 24-year-olds since 1991. Children with HIV are at higher risk for some forms of cancer because of their weakened immune systems. Once a child is infected with HIV, they face a high chance of illness and death unless they can successfully be provided with treatment. HIV treatment for children slows the progress of HIV infection and allows infected children to live much longer, healthier lives. Sadly, an estimated 90% of children worldwide who could be benefiting from this therapy are not receiving it. A major problem is that few appropriate drugs are available. Young children ideally need to be given drugs in the form of syrups or powders, because they cannot swallow tablets. Unfortunately, most of the drugs that work well in children are only available as tablets. As a result, caregivers are often forced to break adult tablets into smaller doses for their children, which can lead to children being given too little or too much of a drug.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic in America was once concentrated mainly in the gay populations on the East and West coasts. However, in recent years AIDS has become increasingly prevalent within black and Latino communities in many Southern states. The map on the left shows which states had the highest number of people living with AIDS in 2005, relative to the population of each state.
(Brown = highest concentration, light yellow = lowest).

The 2009 budget request for HIV/AIDS domestic spending is estimated at just over $18 billion. Of this, roughly 68 percent is for care, 15 percent for research, 10 percent for cash and housing assistance, and 4 percent for prevention. Although spending on the domestic HIV epidemic has risen in recent years, many AIDS organizations say it remains inadequate. Cash shortages are particularly severe in Southern states, where the epidemic is newer, and funding has not yet been allocated to reflect the increase in cases. Recent changes to the Ryan White CARE Act were designed to address this problem, but have met with strong opposition from those in higher prevalence areas, who have suffered cuts in federal funding to pay for improved services in the South.

Although biases against helping people who are infected with HIV/AIDS through lifestyle choices still exist, clearly children are the innocent victims of this epidemic and they must be helped. Raising money to help treat children with HIV/AIDS is critical. Education is also key. If you would like to get involved in helping children with AIDS, listed below are some resources. Hit Google and you will uncover hundreds more.

Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS

Save the Children

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PEPFAR

UNICEF