Missing Mothers - Meeting the Needs of Children Affected by AIDS

Summary: A new report released by Save the Children highlights the plight of millions more children across the world caring for their sick mothers, who without proper care and treatment, will soon die of AIDS.

9 million children in Africa will be spending Mother’s Day this year without the love and support of their mother - because they have already lost her to AIDS. That is the equivalent of every child under 13 in the UK being without a mother.

Jasmine Whitbread, Save the Children’s Chief Executive, said of the report’s findings: "The AIDS pandemic robs millions of children of their childhood as well as their mother. Children are caring for their mothers, missing school, and having to work because their mothers are too sick to look after them. Incredibly, the impact of HIV and AIDS on children is still being ignored".

"Save the Children estimates that of the 19 million women worldwide living with HIV and AIDS, at least 90 per cent are mothers - the vast majority of them are living without adequate care and treatment. The more support that can be provided, the longer HIV-positive mothers can care for their children. It’s time for donors - in particular the G8 nations, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, the World Bank and the European Commission - to come forward with the resources to support children whose childhoods are being lost to HIV and AIDS", continued Whitbread.

To date, any recognition of children’s needs has focused on what happens after their parents have died. However, to truly make a difference it is critical that we support children living with sick parents as well as children orphaned by AIDS.

Millions of dollars have been promised to fight HIV and AIDS, but funding bottlenecks and a lack of focus on children means the money is failing to reach the most vulnerable children. That is why Save the Children is calling for:

• A focus on better care for mothers and children affected by HIV and AIDS as well as orphaned children
• At least 6.4 billion dollars - 12 per cent of promised AIDS funding - to be targeted at children and families
• Donors to remove funding bottlenecks, and work with governments to provide cash directly to poor families.
• The World Bank and other donors to support free basic healthcare, because poor families across Africa cannot afford to pay the fees charged for even the most basic drugs and treatment to keep mothers alive.

For more information, contact:
Save the Children Press Office
London EC1M 4AR
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 207 012 6841; Fax: + 44 20 7012 6963
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.savethechildren.org.uk

Read the report

More information

Save the Children on Mother’s Day – Teaching Resources