UNICEF, Family Health International (FHI) and Save the Children UK on Sunday urged countries in the Asia-Pacific region to make efficient protection,care and support efforts for children in the region who are at risk of HIV/AIDS.

According to new regional data revealed earlier in the day at a satellite session of the Seventh International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific being held in Kobe, west Japan, more than 1.5 million children in Asia and the Pacific are now orphaned by AIDS.

In addition to those orphaned by AIDS, another 121,000 children were estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS in Asia and the Pacific by the end of 2004, with an estimated 47,000 children newly infected last year alone.

The three organizations urged governments in the region to make care and treatment services for children available and accessible.

"We also need to urgently address the issue of stigma, which continues to penalize children living with HIV/AIDS or affected by it," the organizations said in a joint statement.

"Ensuring that our youngest and most vulnerable citizens receive the attention they need is not just a humanitarian priority but critical to combating AIDS at a national and global level," they said.

According to the data, the treatment situation for children infected with the virus is bleak. While almost 35,000 children are in need of anti-retroviral drugs in Asia and the Pacific, only a small fraction is currently receiving treatment.

Similarly, more than one quarter of a million children are in need of Cotrimoxazole, a cost-efficient antibiotic which helps prevent HIV-related infections. Only a few children are actual beneficiaries.

Most governments in the region have yet to develop national policies and strategies aimed at addressing the issue of HIV/AIDS and children, according to UNICEF. Only a few countries have a national strategy for the protection and care of children orphaned or made vulnerable by AIDS or for comprehensive care for HIV-positive children and families.

The emotional toll on children affected by HIV/AIDS can be devastating as they suffer from isolation, loss of self-esteem, depression and anxiety. Because of pervasive stigma and discrimination, they also tend to drop out of school, thus jeopardizing their education and their path to a better future.

Experience has proven that the best way to protect children orphaned by AIDS is to place them in the care of relatives or extended family members in their own community. UNICEF, FHI and Save the Children UK are promoting alternatives to residential/institutional care, wherever possible ensuring that a child who has lost their parents lives with relatives or extended family members, local foster parents or nominated guardians.

Source: Xinhua