HIV & AIDS-A Deep Human Concern

2007 PRESENTATION
HIV AND CHILDREN
In his 2007 address, Father Michael turned to the specific challenges encountered in caring for
children affected by HIV and AIDS, and called for a renewed global commitment to addressing
the well-being of children and their caregivers. At the time, children in Sub-Saharan Africa were
becoming orphans due to AIDS at the rate of 2,500 each day, or over 100 per hour, and at the
beginning of 2007 there were 2.3 million children under the age of 15 with HIV. A total of 15.2
Million Children under the age of 18 had lost either one or both parents to AIDS, and many
more were made vulnerable by the disease. The event was opened by then Minister of State
for Overseas Development, Michael Kitt, T.D., and Father Michael was introduced by Professor
Sheila Dinotshe Tlou, then Minister of Health for Botswana. Father Michael’s lecture in 2007
was not recorded, therefore this section contains a distillation of the messages included in the
slides of his presentation. Both Father Michael’s, and Professor Tlou’s presentations can be
downloaded from www.fathermichaelkellyzambia.org.
Michael J. Kelly, S.J.,
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland,
Dublin, Ireland, November 2007
Father Michael highlighted the fact that orphanhood
is a lasting state – not only for the
child but for society as a whole, and called
for the global community to be prepared to
make long-term commitments to provide for
orphans, for a period of 20 years or more.
Speaking of the wider vulnerabilities caused
by HIV and AIDS, Father Michael drew attention
to children whose parents were living
with HIV and AIDS; those who live in
households where HIV and AIDS is present,
yet the parents remain healthy; those living
in households where there are no adults, or
where the caregivers are themselves elderly;
and finally children who are themselves
caring for other children or orphans. He also
spoke of the circumstances where children
might become vulnerable – for example if
their families are no longer able to turn to
relatives for assistance, or when they are exploited
for labour.
Children in these circumstances face economic
insecurity and difficulty meeting basic
needs for food, healthcare, and education,
but in addition to this, Father Michael
also noted that they might suffer from emotional
concerns including trauma, feelings of
fear, sadness, helplessness, worry, distress,
and unhappiness. Compounding this problem,
parents may have reduced time and
capacity to provide the support needed for
their child’s development. Beyond the individual
level, Father Michael also spoke of the
broader societal consequences for children
orphaned by AIDS: stigma and discrimination,
school absences, risk of exploitation,
and the risk of contracting HIV themselves.
In addition to these issues, Father Michael
added that in many situations, children also
bear the burden of caring for parents with
HIV and AIDS. Furthermore, they might be
separated from siblings or re-housed to live
with relatives, and can be forced into secrecy
and silence about the disease, as well as facing
inadequate time and supports to grieve
for a deceased parent. Against this backdrop,
many families are unable to cope with
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