WORLD AIDS DAY OBSERVANCE HELD AT HEADQUARTERS; FOCUS ON CHILDREN ORPHANED BY AIDS

Press Release
PI/1205

WORLD AIDS DAY OBSERVANCE HELD AT HEADQUARTERS; FOCUS ON CHILDREN ORPHANED BY AIDS

Speakers Include General Assembly President, Deputy Secretary-General, United States First Lady, UNAIDS Executive Director

The World Bank estimated that AIDS would kill almost 15,000 teachers in the United Republic of Tanzania by the year 2010 and 27,000 teachers 10 years later, costing that country a possible 37.8 million to train replacements, the President of the General Assembly said at the opening segment of the World AIDS Day observance held at Headquarters this morning.

He said that for the first time in history, millions of children were being orphaned by AIDS. Had they lived in North America or Europe, their fate would already have been declared a human tragedy. Instead, most of them lived in Africa, a continent scarred by oppression, poverty, disease and shattered by back-breaking debt, fratricidal wars and recurrent hunger.

Five years from now, Ethiopia would spend more than a third of its total health budget on treating AIDS, he said. Kenya would spend more than half and Zimbabwe two-thirds. In the 1950s, life expectancy in Southern Africa had been about 44 years. Improving living standards had pushed that figure to 59. Today, AIDS was pushing it back down and in just five to 10 years, life expectancy could be back at 45, its lowest point in half a century. It was as though nothing had been gained in all those decades.

Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette said that today’s activities focused on a new face of the human tragedy -- that of children orphaned by AIDS. More than 11 million children had lost a mother to the epidemic. In Africa, AIDS now killed more people than war. Most died young. AIDS attacked young adults in the prime of their lives and their loss was compounded by the stigma of shame that the world still equated with the illness.

AIDS had become more than a health crisis, she continued. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) had brought together co-sponsors from different parts of the United Nations family with mandates ranging from health to development to crime prevention, in a cohesive and broad-based partnership against the epidemic. Those partnerships were needed to help the children left behind.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, First Lady of the United States, said AIDS was an epidemic of biblical proportions. The UNAIDS had labelled it the world's worst undeclared war and children were getting caught in the crossfire. World leaders had been recruited to the cause, but the private sector had to do its part. AIDS

- 1a - Press Release PI/1205 1 December 1999

was not just a matter for Health Ministers, but also for Finance Ministers, Labour Ministers, Prime Ministers and Presidents.

In his opening remarks, Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS, said the epidemic was rolling back the development gains of decades. The road for the orphans was riddled with trip-wires. Not only had they lost their parents, but their communities were weakened as a result of AIDS. Communities were closing ranks all over the world to find some answers. Societies would have to decide whether to reject the AIDS orphans or to accept and integrate them. A report released this morning, Children Orphaned by AIDS, contained tangible examples of how communities in Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe were coping with the AIDS orphan crisis.

Kensaku Hogen, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, said during the opening event of the day's observance that the number of co-sponsors reflected unprecedented cooperation among intergovernmental organizations, governments, non-governmental organizations and the private sector in addressing issues related to HIV/AIDS.

A highlight of the opening segment was an interview by Alexandra Berke, 15, a reporter for Children's Express, with four AIDS orphans -- Khomsan sang-sue-moon, 14, from Thailand; Precious Thomas, 10, from the United States; Andrew Jackson Okurut, 13, from Uganda; and Paris Lane, 17, from the United States.

They discussed their experiences since losing their parents and answered questions about coping with their loss as well as the stigma associated with AIDS; making decisions about education; dealing with siblings and other surviving family members; and community services from which they had benefited.

Khomsan Sang-sue-moon talked about watching his parents die of AIDS and his feelings of social isolation and discrimination. Andrew Jackson Okurut said his father had died of AIDS when he was five months old and his mother 13 years later. A national women's group had helped him to cope while growing up without a parental hand. Paris Lane said that his biggest problem had been experimenting with drugs because he felt that he had no future and that nobody cared.

The day-long observance, with the theme "The Children Left Behind", centred on an Action Plan for children orphaned by AIDS-related causes. The Observance is co- sponsored by the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI), the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, Inc. (BLCA), the Magic Johnson Foundation, UNAIDS, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Bank, The White House Office of National AIDS Policy, and the Global Health Council.

Statements

KENSAKU HOGEN, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, began the programme by recalling the establishment of World AIDS Day and its expansion into a year-long World AIDS Campaign. Summarizing this year’s theme, children orphaned by AIDS, Mr. Hogen reviewed the facts about 13 million children losing one or both parents to AIDS by the year 2000. He emphasized that the numbers of orphans were expected to increase in Asia, the Americas and Europe, and stressed that by far the situation was most serious in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 90 per cent of children orphaned by AIDS lived now.

“We are here to consider ways to address the needs of these children and their caretakers in the new millennium,” Mr. Hogen said. The number of co-sponsors for the day’s events, he added, reflected an unprecedented cooperation among intergovernmental organizations, Governments, non-governmental organizations and the private sector in addressing issues related to HIV/AIDS.

THEO-BEN GURIRAB (Namibia), President of the General Assembly, said that for the first time in history, millions of children were being orphaned by AIDS. Had they lived in wealthy parts of North America or Europe, their fate would already have been declared a human tragedy. Instead, most of the victims lived in Africa, a continent scarred by oppression, poverty, disease and shattered by back-breaking debt, fratricidal wars and recurrent hunger.

He cited World Bank estimates that AIDS would kill almost 15,000 teachers in the United Republic of Tanzania by the year 2010 and 27,000 10 years later. Not only was that a devastating loss of life, but training new teachers as replacements could cost $37.8 million in a country already hard pressed for funds.

In Zimbabwe, half of all hospital patients had HIV or AIDS symptoms, he said. Five years from now, Ethiopia would spend more than a third of its total health budget on treating AIDS, Kenya would spend more than half and Zimbabwe two-thirds. What would be left for those suffering from other illnesses? Namibia was one of the worst cases, both in terms of HIV -- the AIDS-causing virus -- and the AIDS disease itself.

He said that in the 1950s, people in Southern Africa had expected to live to about 44 years of age. As living standards improved, the figure had climbed to 59. Today, AIDS was pushing it back down. Just five to 10 years from today, life expectancy could be back at 45, its lowest point in half a century. It was as though nothing had been gained in all those decades.

It did not necessarily mean that the rest of the continent was better off, he said. The forty-ninth session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa held in Windhoek, Namibia, from 30 August to 3 September this year had underscored the gravity of the human crisis across the continent and renewed its urgent call for international solidarity and assistance.

He said that studies in cities of Côte d’Ivoire had shown that the income of households struck by AIDS had dropped by up to 67 per cent. Though there was less money, the family spent a lot on health care, so economies took place at the expense of food and especially education for the children.

LOUISE FRECHETTE, Deputy Secretary-General, said few facts were more terrifying than the statistics related to AIDS. Today’s activities focused on a new face of the human tragedy, that of children orphaned by AIDS. Since the epidemic had begun, more than 11 million children had lost a mother to AIDS. “This, we fear, is only the beginning”, she added.

In Africa, she said, AIDS now killed more people than war. Most died young. In some African countries, more than one child in 10 was struggling to survive without a mother. AIDS attacked young adults in the prime of their lives. Their loss was compounded by the stigma of shame that the world still equated with the illness. Victims and their families lost homes and inheritances and suffered discrimination and financial insecurity. Some individuals were forced into sexual abuse or prostitution, which risked exposing them to the AIDS virus. AIDS was generating orphans so quickly that the family and Government structures could not longer cope. Traditional safety nets were unravelling.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) was showing the way, she said. Because AIDS had become more than a health crisis, UNAIDS brought together co-sponsors from different parts of the United Nations family with mandates ranging from health to development to crime prevention, in a cohesive and broad- based partnership against the epidemic. It raised awareness of AIDS as a major development threat, it monitored the global epidemic and tracked response to it. It also brokered new forms of partnerships with Governments and civil society, including the business sector and people living with AIDS.

To help the children left behind, partnerships were needed, she said. The orphans and the communities trying to help them needed the valuable blueprint UNAIDS had developed -- the Call to Action for the Children Left Behind. The Call to Action showed that no single actor or action alone was enough. Partnerships were needed to empower and support those caring for orphans, to break the conspiracy of stigma and to keep the plight of AIDS orphans high on the international agenda.

PETER PIOT, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, said it was important to realize that what was being seen today was only the beginning of the epidemic’s impact. Millions of children had been orphaned. AIDS was rolling back the development gains of decades. The road for the orphans was riddled with trip-wires. Not only had they lost their parents, but their communities were weakened as a result of AIDS.

He said communities were closing ranks all over the world to find some answers. Today was a day of reflection and action on different aspects of AIDS and for people suffering from AIDS. Societies would have to decide whether to reject the AIDS orphans or to accept and integrate them. A report released this morning, Children Orphaned by AIDS, contained tangible examples of how communities in Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe were coping with the AIDS orphan crisis.

Those working in HIV and AIDS had some practical proposals if millions of orphaned children were to be given a fighting chance, he said. Those proposals were being presented today in the form of a Call to Action. For that, thanks were due to the collaborating partners of UNAIDS -– the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS -- who had worked tirelessly to draw that document together. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, First Lady of the United States, said participants were present at today’s celebration by choice. All people could choose to leave behind those children who were orphaned by AIDS, or they could choose to put them into the forefront of efforts. “I call on all businesses, governments, families and the world community to take charge of the orphans and to make sure the disease that robbed them of their parents does not take them hostage as well”, she said.

AIDS was an epidemic of biblical proportions, she said. In just five more years, one hundred million people would have been infected by the HIV virus. The shadow would continue to hover and grow. Statistics on AIDS were all too familiar, but no one should ever become numbed to the effects of the disease. Recalling an affectionate and lively twelve year old girl she had met in Thailand and who had died of AIDS shortly after their meeting, she said she was still affected by thoughts of how that girl would have turned out had she not been stricken by the disease.

She said that AIDS had been labeled by UNAIDS as the worst undeclared war in the world. Children were the ones getting caught in the crossfire. Children were watching their mothers and fathers dying from AIDS and were subjected to the consequences of being shunned by society and sent to live with overburdened relatives who fed them last.

To give those children hope, she said, partnerships between every sector were needed. She herself had recruited world leaders to the cause. But the private sector had to do its part and businesses needed the encouragement, support and prodding of the world community to get involved. “AIDS is not a matter for Health Ministers”, she said. “It is also a matter for Finance Ministers, Labour Ministers, Prime Ministers and Presidents.”

Most importantly, she said the partnerships needed to break the silence of AIDS. Too many people were dying of AIDS to allow moral outrage about it to prevail. The young people here today were a testament to what governments could accomplish in helping. Concerted government action had cut the AIDS epidemic in Uganda by half. Her own Government had just approved $128 million in debt relief to countries in need of it -- the leaders of those countries should turn the money to help AIDS orphans. In addition, her country would add $100 million to the global fight against AIDS this year.

United Nations efforts must be supported, she said. The world was indeed a global village and managing the AIDS epidemic was a shared responsibility. It was long past time to move beyond words to action, to move from blame to responsibility, and to hope from despair. The children who were here today were a testament to the millions like them all over the world, who had the stamina to fight for their lives despite the great pain of their losses.

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