HIV & AIDS-A Deep Human Concern

the way HIV and AIDS increases poverty, or
to provide for orphans: as Father Michael observed,
“The poor help the destitute by sharing
what they cannot afford”. He also noted
that often the burden of caring for children
orphaned by HIV and AIDS often falls upon
the elderly, grandparents, and others who are
in poor health themselves, yet there are few
supports in place for these caregivers.
Father Michael also brought to the audience’s
attention the fact that there is a disproportionate
effect on school-age girls, who
are too often removed from education to care
for relatives and support the household. Consequently,
this increases their vulnerability
to HIV and denies them the better economic
prospects that education can bring.
Father Michael gave a number of examples
of Zambian young people who had lost parents
to AIDS, from which it became clear
that children share the same aspirations
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and dreams everywhere, yet AIDS is depriving
them of the irreplaceable parental love
and emotional support that would help make
those dreams a reality. While to date there
has been much focus on meeting children’s
physical needs, more attention is required to
attend to their emotional and psychological
needs. The HIV epidemic has meant that
children are being forced into adulthood before
their time, assuming responsibilities as
caregivers and heads of households, and being
deprived of their right to happiness, to
rest, to leisure, and to play.
Father Michael remained adamant that the
international community can halt the preventable
growth in the number of orphans
and help to establish a protective and stable
family environment for children affected by
HIV and AIDS. By helping keep children in
education, it will be possible to ensure a decent
life for every child, and Father Michael
also noted that in 2007, the Irish government