There is an AIDS epidemic engulfing much of Africa.     AIDS is the leading cause of death in Africa and the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. 

Of the 43 million people living with HIV, the virus which causes AIDS, 29.4 million live in sub-Saharan Africa . Of the 5 million people worldwide who will be infected with HIV this year, 3.5 million are in Africa .  58 percent of those who are HIV-positive are women and the disease is spread mainly due to sexual relations between men and women.

Today 3 million children live with AIDS and over 15 million have been orphaned by AIDS and this figure could grow to 18 million by 2010 according to UNICEF.  Millions more have otherwise been affected by AIDS since the early 1980s, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa.   Every minute, a child is infected with HIV and another child dies from an HIV/AIDS related illness.  UNICEF says only 5% of HIV-positive children get medical help, and fewer than 10% of the 15 million already orphaned by HIV/AIDS get financial support.

 

Africa stands to lose an entire generation to the AIDS epidemic that is sweeping the continent.  By 2010, one third of Africa 's children will be orphaned. One of the tragic consequences of the HIV/AIDS crisis is the growing numbers of orphaned and vulnerable children. Deaths from AIDS contribute to the estimated 16 million African children under age 15 who live without mother or both parents.

These poor countries are more at risk because of poverty and lack of education. Health care systems are weak and people cannot afford the anti-retroviral drugs which can prolong life.

AIDS is having a huge impact on Malawi , claiming 10 lives every hour. 

Currently about 18% people of the 15 million in Malawi are living with the HIV virus. This number is growing according to Dr. Bizwick Mwale, Executive Director of National Aids Commission.

HIV and AIDS expert Mr. Robert Ngaiyaye in the Ministry of Education estimates that 12.2% of primary school pupils in Malawi are orphans and 3% of primary school children are HIV positive.  Of every 1000 babies born alive in Malawi , 178 will die before their fifth birthday.

There are currently approximately 88, 000 orphans in Malawi and the scale of this problem is becoming a major phenomenon which must be combatted.

Women are becoming the largest bearers of the disease. Parents die first, leaving increasing numbers of orphaned children, many infected with HIV, who are left with the responsibility of caring for orphaned siblings.  Child and grand-parent headed families are becoming commonplace in Malawi . 

When parents start to develop full-blown AIDS, they cannot work and therefore need to be looked after.  In the past, aunts and uncles took the orphaned children of their sisters and brothers into their own homes.  Now, all too often, the aunts and uncles also die of this disease or are too poor to help.  

As a result of the high levels of HIV/AIDS in Malawi , children not only have the distress of seeing their parents deteriorate, but are no longer provided for and have to try to help care for their parents. The orphaned children are left to fend for themselves doing whatever they can to feed their younger brother and sisters. The impact of this upon the demographic of a nation is devastating, affecting both its future independence and current stability.

Most of the orphans in school require special attention in terms of food security, health and welfare services as well as protection from stigmatisation and abuse.

Source:  Malawi Aids Commission 2006 - a mother body of all organisations that deals with orphans plus HIV/AIDS in Malawi.