Children and aids newsletter

Ann M. Veneman, UNICEF Executive Director, underscored the challenge of reaching those who are not currently being reached with treatment and prevention and the barriers that stigma and discrimination continue to represent. She highlighted progress achieved for children since the launch of the Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS initiative by UNICEF, UNAIDS and other partners in 2005 when children were still clearly “the missing face of AIDS”. While progress is visible towards the goals of all “Four Ps”⁴ as documented in the yearly Children and AIDS Stocktaking Report, much more remains to be done in order to achieve the necessary change in the lives of children affected by HIV and AIDS, including increased commitment, resources and collaboration among the key partners. Veneman also stressed the importance of supporting families who are trying to cope with HIV and AIDS – and of finding multiple, community-based and where ever community-led solutions, especially when children have no families to support them. She also emphasized the need for sound monitoring and evaluation systems to build a knowledge base of effective approaches.
Youth representatives Methusela Nyabuchwenza from the Junior Council of Tanzania, and Aloyce Fungafunga from the Dogodogo Centre, Tanzania, reported back from the Regional Inter-Agency Task Team (RIATT) Conference in Dar-es-Salaam held in September 2008. The views of a total of 20,000 children from eight countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Lesotho, South Africa) were represented by 2 children for each country during a two-day Children's Consultation preceding the main conference.
Common issues identified in the country reports and presented to the conference included:

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  “Youth participation is very important in all aspects. Children and young people should be involved on different issues concern them within the community, national and international level. In order to ensure that the following should be done: Promotion of youth/children centres and involvement in community committees. We need government and community will and commitment to ensure young people participation!”

  Methusela Nyabuchwenza,

  
  
  youth participant from Tanzania
  he crucial role of education and life skills in addressing HIV and AIDS and its impact on children including the need for free and quality primary and secondary education, addressing school drop-out and violence and abuse in school settings;
  
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  the need to improve access to health services including ARVs and nutrition support;
  
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  the importance of strengthening protection mechanisms for children from abuse and forced marriage;
  

Both youth representatives sent a powerful reminder to the GPF participants that there should be “no more resolutions without solutions” as an outcome of the conference and that participation of children and young people is key in making a real difference.