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Wednesday, 10 July, 2002, 16:32 GMT 17:32 UK
Aids orphans 'to double'
![]() Children are left to cope without their parents
The number of children orphaned by Aids will almost double to 25m by the end of the decade, experts predict.
A report compiled by aid agencies, presented to the International Aids Conference in Barcelona, said extended families often fail to cope, and many children are forced to live on the street. It says even if action is taken now, the number of orphans would continue to rise for many years. The threat HIV poses was graphically illustrated by scientists at the conference who warned people who were already HIV positive should use condoms because there was a risk of them contracting another strain of the disease.
The report "Children on the Brink" estimates that in 2001, 13.4m children, had lost one or both parents to Aids. Sub-Saharan Africa, where 70% of people with HIV or Aids live, is set to be hardest hit in the future. By 2010, an estimated 20m children - almost 6% of all the children in Africa - will be orphaned by Aids if present trends continue, the report estimates.
The total in Asia is set to double by 2010 to 4.3m. Significant increases are also predicted in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico.
"When the mother dies, the family virtually falls apart." If these networks of family support break down, orphans can be forced to live in the street. Peter Piot, executive director of UNAids, warned: "HIV/Aids has created an orphans crisis. "In some countries, the very fabric of society is disappearing, and family structures are crumbling. "The most catastrophic scenarios can be envisaged." He said even couples where both partners were HIV positive should use condoms. He said this could be because their immune system could not cope. |
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