This fortnight's thi>e HIV/AIDS - Nobody's Children, Everybody's Children Issue 149
 
 

Nobody's Children, Everybody's Children

“It leaves the mind reeling to think of the millions of children who should be alive and aren't alive, simply because the world imposes such an obscene division between rich and poor.” – Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa , World AIDS Day Address 2005.



According to United Nations estimates, there are some 15 million AIDS orphans worldwide. 12 million of these live in sub-Saharan Africa . The numbers of AIDS orphans are expected to increase for some time to come due to the time lag between the time of infection of the parents and their death some time later. There would barely be a community in Africa that has not been affected by HIV/AIDS. In Kenya for example, 1.1 million children have lost at least one of their parents to AIDS.

Hawa's story is typical of many. She lives in Kibera in Kenya . Around half of all orphaned children in Kenya have been orphaned because of AIDS. Hawa is 13 and is HIV positive. Her mother transmitted the virus to her during childbirth. Hawa is cared for by her 60 year old grandmother , Hamida. Three of Hamida's five children are now dead. Hawa is one of the fortunate few who are actually receiving antiretroviral therapy. She has to take a tablet morning and night and so far it has kept her well. She hasn't told her friends at school that she is HIV positive because they would avoid her. There is still a great deal of ignorance about how the virus is transmitted. One of her neighbours has forbidden her son to play with her in case he gets the disease. Hawa has almost finished primary school and dreams of becoming a doctor, an HIV/AIDS specialist.

Hawa needs special care in order to remain healthy and as Hawa's sole carer, Hamida is worried about what will become of her if she dies. If it weren't for Hamida , Hawa would probably not be at school. She would be working to support herself. Hawa is lucky to be so well and so well looked after, but her future is uncertain.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has huge consequences for people like Hawa and Hamida. It also has huge consequences for their communities. The sheer number of deaths, the lost generation of parents, the loss of skilled labour have had a huge impact in Africa especially but also throughout the rest of the developing (majority) world. Close to 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS. It is an immense tragedy with immense consequences.

The way the world responds to the HIV/AIDS epidemic can turn this tragedy around. The achievement of all the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) very much depends on whether MDG 6 : combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases can be achieved. The spread of this disease must be stopped so that the wide-ranging consequences can be stopped.

How can universal education be achieved when so many teachers are dying? Children may be too sick to attend school or are looking after sick parents or siblings. They may be simply too poor to afford to buy books or uniforms. Many children have to work rather than go to school after their parents die so that they can simply survive. What makes the situation more serious is that without education, young people are less likely to have the opportunity to be educated about the risks of contracting HIV. They will also be more likely to treat people with the disease as outcasts. Ignorance leads to suspicion. Without education there will be fewer health workers to deal with the health crisis now and into the future. Education has an essential role to play in dealing with this epidemic.

Having lost so many healthy young adults, it becomes more difficult to earn enough income or to grow enough food. This makes communities more vulnerable to disease, including HIV. After contracting HIV, people are then too sick to do the hard work necessary to produce enough food. And so the cycle continues.

This cycle needs to be broken in order to give the next generation a chance for the future. Hawa and millions like her deserve the chance to dream of a better life.

These children are orphans and therefore nobody's children. They have indeed become everybody's children and therefore everybody's responsibility. These children and all those affected by HIV/AIDS are part of the global family and we should do whatever it takes to support our family. But is the world doing enough?



Only 1.3 million people are receiving life-saving AIDS drugs out of the 6.5 million who need them. Less than 5% of HIV positive children have access to the AIDS treatment they need. Without treatment most children with HIV will not reach their 5th birthday.

World AIDS Day is December 1 and this year's theme is “Keep the Promise”. It is about making sure that words spoken by world leaders are backed up by action. All nations need to ensure that they contribute the amount promised to ensure the Millennium Development goals are achieved. This is the least we can do to ensure that children like Hawa have a future full of hope. Her future is our future too.

 

    

Teaching and Learning Activities

SCIENCE

Research the Biology of HIV at news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/africa
/03/biology_of_aids/html/default.stm Click through the presentation and answer the following:

a) Why is it so important to understand this virus?
b) What is the virus' effect on the human immune system?
c) What is so unusual about how this virus infects a person?
d) What are CD4+ cells?
e) What happens as the number of CD4+ cells declines?
f) When does HIV become AIDS?
g) What is special about the way a retrovirus divides?
h) Why does the immune system have difficulty in fighting this virus?
i) Why would a person living with HIV be concerned about their CD4+ levels?
j) How can babies and young children contract HIV?
k) Can the virus be passed through an infected person's saliva?
l) What is the most surprising HIV myth for you? Why?
m) What is considered the critical level of CD4+ cells when diagnosing the onset of AIDS?
n) What are some early symptoms of HIV infection?
o) What does the term “viral load” mean?
p) What complications happen when the virus damages the immune system?
q) What are “opportunistic infections”?
r) Choose one of the infections associated with HIV at news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/africa/03/
biology_of_aids/html/aids_develops.stm and say how it affects the person with HIV.
s) List the types of drugs used to treat HIV and how each of them works.
t) Why is drug resistance a problem?
u) What are some of the side effects of these drugs?

There is an HIV glossary accessible at news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/africa/03/
biology_of_aids/html/the_hiv_virus.stm containing an exhaustive list of relevant scientific terms.


SCIENCE/SOCIAL SCIENCES/PDHPE

1. Research the global spread of HIV at news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/africa/03/biology
_of_aids/html/aids_develops.stm and answer the following:

a) How many are living with HIV/AIDS around the world?
b) How many died of AIDS in 2005?
c) Are there any signs of hope in these statistics?
d)In what part of the world is the greatest concentration of people living positively with HIV/AIDS?
e) Click through the dates at news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/
africa/03/aids_debate/html/africas_
epidemic.stm# and write a short paragraph about the spread of HIV since 1986 in Africa ? What changes do you notice?
f) In 2010 which a re the countries predicted to have major increases in the numbers of people infected with HIV?
g) How many people can be saved if proven techniques to deal with the HIV epidemic are implemented?

2. Go to unstats.un.org/unsd/mdg/Resources/
Static/Products/Progress2006/MDGProgress
Chart2006.pdf to assess progress in the achievement of the MDGs and MDG 6 in particular. What are the main areas of concern as you look at the chart?

3. Test your knowledge about HIV/AIDS by taking the quiz at www.worldbank.org/worldaidsday/quiz.htm More information will be found at youthink.worldbank.org/4kids/aids/index.php and more teaching ideas and resources at youthink.worldbank.org/4teachers/resources.php including AIDS orphans' stories.

4. For a case study of an HIV/AIDS project supported by Australia go to www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/
globaled/go/pid/433

5. For a slide show on HIV in Malawi go to www.msf.org/msfinternational/invoke.cfm?
objectid=ADCC7419-5056-AA776C82B7E733888A8C&
component=toolkit.article&method=full_html

Another video presentation can be accessed at www.guardian.co.uk/flash/page
/0,16876,1660299,00.html

An interactive video presentation is available at www.guardian.co.uk/flash/mendel.swf This is an impressive use of the technology.


6. Read another case study at www.msf.org/msfinternational/invoke.cfm?
component=article&objectid=767B1DFA-E062-690A
94B1E8F2E8FC42F6&method=full_html

7 . Make a poster advertising World AIDS Day using some of the facts at www.unicef.com.au/documents/
Statistics.doc   

8 . Go to data.unaids.org/pub/GlobalReport/2006
/2006GR-PrevalenceMap_en.pdf for a map showing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS around the world. This also shows changes over time.


ENGLISH

1. Read Bogdan's story at news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/
world/europe/3271847.stm

a) In a small group, draw up a list of the effects of living with HIV under the following headings: Physical effects, emotional effects (feelings), changes to the way he lives, how he manages to cope with the challenges.

b) Wha t are the myths he has to deal with?

2. Write a letter addressed to the Prime Minister asking him to increase Australia 's aid to address the AIDS epidemic. Ask him if his government is keeping the promises it made at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000. Ask him about the alarming increase in the number of HIV cases in Papua New Guinea and why our aid to them has fallen in real terms over the last 20 years. Go to www.unicef.com.au/documents/
PNG%20Factsheets%20Final%20(low-res).pdf to find out more about the spread of HIV in Papua New Guinea .

RELIGION

“Why do we tolerate one regimen for Africa (second-rate) and another for the rich nations (first rate)? Why do we tolerate the carnage of African children, and save the life of every western child?” – Stephen Lewis UN Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa . Consider this quote and discuss it in your class. Can you answer Stephen Lewis' question? Is the response like that of the Good Samaritan? Are African children our “neighbour”? What issues of justice arise here?

 

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