Orphans and Vulnerable Children

 

Why do we use the term ‘orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS'?

Children are affected by HIV in a multitude of ways, and not only when a parent dies of AIDS. There are increasing numbers of children living with sick or dying parents. Children are often required to drop out of school to provide care or generate an income for the family. Many children affected by HIV are excluded, abused and subjected to stigma and discrimination.

Our programmes for orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV are child-centred, family- and community-focused and rights-based.

Programmes for orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV (OVC) are often a hybrid of both HIV and mainstreaming approaches. This section illustrates the use of a human rights approach to programming and the need for partnership approaches that involve different types of expertise in addressing the vulnerability of a particular population group to HIV and its consequences.

Rights-based approaches to programming for OVC are guided by the principles set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The principles in the CRC include:

  • the right to survival, wellbeing and development
  • non-discrimination (see Access and equity)
  • giving primacy to the best interests of the child in all actions regarding him or her
  • fostering participation of children, including the right to express their views freely in all matters affecting them, the right to freedom of expression, and freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds
  • protecting children from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, and
  • protecting children from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.

OVC programmes need to:

  • involve children and young people as active participants
  • increase the capacity of children and young people to meet their own needs, through access to quality education, protection from exploitation and developing the skills to care for themselves
  • recognise that families and communities are the primary social safety net for OVC and strengthen community-based responses, including engaging leaders in responding to the needs of OVC
  • support parents living with HIV to fulfil their parenting role, including succession planning for children
  • strengthen the caring capacity of families and communities to protect and care for OVC by provision of economic, material and psycho-social support and development of life skills of children, parents and carers (see Treatment, care and support)
  • ensure that OVC have access to essential services, including birth registration, schooling, health and nutrition services, safe water and sanitation, and appropriate placement services for those without family or community care
  • support children facing stigma and discrimination to cope with and respond to their situation (see addressing stigma and discrimination)
  • pay particular attention to the roles of girls and boys and women and men, including addressing gender roles and norms that affect the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV and its consequences
  • build and strengthen partnerships with governments, donors, the public sector and the full range of NGOs to coordinate responses, and develop responses that are sustainable and capable of replication to meet the long-term needs of OVC.