Strengthening national responses to children affected by HIV/AIDS what is the role fo the state and social welfare in Africa?

Challenging the neo-liberal consensus: strong social welfare system essential for children affected by HIV/AIDS

By: Green, M
Published by: United Nations [UN] Children's Fund (UNICEF) , 2005
Via: Eldis

This paper from UNICEF provides an overview of the situation of children affected by HIV and AIDS, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. It assess the current policy directed at responding to these children’s needs and the role of different institutions in implementing this policy. The report also explores the opportunities for children affected by HIV and AIDS presented by recent innovations in social welfare policy in some developing countries. The report analyses the estimates for the number of children orphaned by AIDS and explains how the responsibility for caring for these children falls most heavily on women and poorer households. The 2004 Framework for the Protection, Support and Care of Orphans and Vulnerable Children Living in a World with HIV and AIDS is also assessed and a number of critical weaknesses are identified. Specifically, the Framework says nothing about how the strategies which it recommends are to be put in place or about the institutional support that needs to be provided to families and communities caring for children. The report argues that there is an urgent need to shift the burden of caring for children affected by HIV and AIDS away from poor families and communities and towards the state and the social welfare system. It points to recent innovations in social welfare policy in Latin America which could provide a potential model for adaptation by countries in sub-Saharan Africa. However, this would initially require a change in commitment from state dismantling to state building policies among donor countries and international agencies.