The Facts

Number of AIDS Orphans:

The number of children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS is is estimated to be 16 million(UNAIDS 2010).
About 14.8 million AIDS orphans live in Sub-Saharan Africa, alone(UNAIDS 2010).
Experts believe that millions more orphans remain unaccounted for in India, China and Russia.

In addition to the trauma of losing a parent, orphans are often subject to discrimination and are less likely to receive healthcare, education and other needed services.
In HIV affected households lacking community support, food consumption can drop by 40% putting children at risk to hunger, malnutrition and stunting.
Impoverished and often without support to educate and protect them, orphans and vulnerable children face increased risk of HIV infection.
Orphans are often easy prey to many forms of exploitation: forced labor, prostitution and child soldiering.

An average 12% of orphans receive basic external support.
US $4.6 billion is needed to implement a comprehensive response to AIDS orphans and vulnerable children. Estimates suggest that less than US $0.5 billion is currently being invested.
Only three countries – the US, UK and Ireland have earmarks providing at least 10% of HIV/AIDS funding to orphans and vulnerable children. Yet experts believe that these promises and legislation are unfulfilled as they meander through government bureaucracy