Blame & Banishment - Médecins du Monde

Blame and Banishment: The underground HIV epidemic affecting children in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
© UNICEF/NYHQ2005-1822/G. Pirozzi
Boys and men gather outside the 'Your Victory' Centre in Ukraine, which provides shelter and services for injecting drug users, some of whom are
HIV-positive. Kirill, 13, (front row, with guitar) was using drugs and living on the streets for two years. He was sent to the shelter by his mother.
drug and alcohol dependence and risk of loss of child custody. The Foundation encourages
local initiatives that promote policy change and provide support to families in crisis through
job skills training, improving parenting skills as well as introducing modern approaches to
social work, such as home visitation and integrated case management, to improve family
capacity to care for children. In other countries, programmes have focused on harm reduction
through outreach to marginalized young people as an approach to increasing their inclusion
into society and access to services. Similarly, ‘second chance’ programmes have supported
excluded young people to rebuild their lives, and increase their resilience and capacity to
cope. While these new initiatives develop models that lead the way towards broader
systemic reforms designed to support children and young people in crisis, including those
most at risk of HIV, their scope and coverage are still insufficient to cover existing needs.
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