6 Oct 2008 - In the News
Half of the world's 15 million AIDS orphans are currently being cared for solely by their grandparents, according to a new report from UK-based Help the Aged. The report also suggests that if current trends continue, this number will double again by 2015.
In sub-Saharan Africa alone the HIV/AIDS epidemic has orphaned almost 12 million children under 18, according to a UNAIDS report released earlier this year. As a result, low-income grandparents must take responsibility for their grandchildren, despite that many already lack the money for adequate food and medicine to care for themselves. Many of these caregivers have been forced into physically demanding jobs and carry out heavy domestic work in order to provide for the children. According to David Clarke, international manager of Help the Aged, "these older people, many in their 80s and 90s, will struggle on less than a dollar a day to feed newborns, nurse sick toddlers and put children through school. Throughout their tireless battle, many grandparents tell us their greatest fear is not knowing what will happen to their grandchildren once they have gone". These findings have motivated the UK to push the United Nations to ensure that older people are accounted for when HIV/AIDS progress is tracked worldwide.
For more information please visit: www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm
