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Orphans and vulnerable children
Extracted from the UNICEF update from the First Zimbabwean National AIDS Conference June 15-18, 2004
June 17, 2004

During yesterday's deliberations, the issue of sharing responsibility for the care of children affected by AIDS within communities, both in terms of emotional and financial support, was raised by the delegates attending the conference session on orphans and vulnerable children.

Currently there is an estimated 761 000 children orphaned under the age of 15 years in Zimbabwe as a result of the AIDS pandemic.

In a presentation entitled "Challenges and Incentives for Adults When Considering Taking Children Orphaned by AIDS", Nelia Matinhure from Africare referred to the baseline study conducted in Mutasa District in Manicaland province. Findings suggest orphaned children are more vulnerable to stress, suffer economic, and educational deprivation, stigmatization and exploitation. And widespread food insecurity and poverty exacerbates the problem, said Matinhure. The studies determined that 90 percent of caregivers were willing to take in a child but needed financial assistance. It was also clear that fear and stigma associated with AIDS persists but were not primary considerations in the decision of whether or not to foster. However insufficient food and money, enormous stress and poor health are common problems shared by both adopters and non adopters and did present crucial concerns.

Recommendations put forward by Africare included providing those caregivers willing to take in and support orphans, the necessary financial assistance.

Another presentation by Shungu Munyati, director of the National Institute of Health Research recommended that emphasis be placed on the importance of collecting baseline data for planning interventions in order to target the most vulnerable groups in a resource poor environment.

The National Plan of Action on Orphan and Vulnerable Children almost Final After a year in formulation, a presentation on the National Plan of Action on Orphan and Vulnerable Children (NPA for OVC), which is almost final and waiting Government approval, was made by Mrs. Dehelmbeu from the Department of Social Welfare.

The NPA for OVC was initiated last year by the Government of Zimbabwe as part of its commitment to the UNGASS Declaration of Commitment on HIV and AIDS and builds on a national orphan policy that has been in existence since 1999. With support from Cabinet–level Social Services Action Committee (SSAC) and through a consultative Working Party of Officials that includes 23 representatives from Government, CBOS, FBOS, UN agencies, donors and the private sector, the Plan outlines a coordinated response to the orphan crisis, detailing with a budget, community based care and support, and basic services for an orphan. By December 2005, the goal is to develop a national institutional capacity to identify all orphans and other vulnerable children and to have reached out with service provision to at least 25% of orphans and other vulnerable children.

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