Children of the HIV/AIDS Pandemic in India

July 22, 2002

Orphans Alert 2 - Children of the HIV/AIDS Pandemic. The Challenge for

India, by Neil Monk

India currently faces a rapidly increasing HIV/AIDS pandemic that

could devastate communities, as well as the entire national economy,

in the same way that it has done across sub-Saharan Africa, if not

brought under control.

In some ways India is at an advantage over many other countries. East

and central Africa had already suffered the impact of a disease known

as " slim " before HIV was identified, and " slim " disease became known

across the world as AIDS. By contrast, HIV/AIDS focused programmes are

already up and running in India, raising awareness and providing

support for affected people.

However the professionals and volunteers engaged in the war against

HIV/AIDS face many challenges; working in a country with high levels

of migratory work practice, low levels of literacy, and with many at

risk people living in remote rural locations. There are already 3.7

million people in India living with HIV/AIDS, which means that even if

prevention programmes surpass the most optimistic expectations, India

is already guaranteed that many of its children will be left without

parents due to the scourge of the pandemic.

This paper can be downloaded free:

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