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ALTHOUGH AIDS HAS HAD A HUGE IMPACT AROUND THE WORLD, nowhere has its effect been greater than in Africa. In Zambia alone the disease is expected to create 500 000 orphans by the turn of the century. In this article Dr. Rachel Baggaley and Dale Needham examine the huge social problems AIDS is creating in some of the world's poorest countries.
Katherine is a 24-year-old, unmarried mother who lives in Lusaka, Zambia's capital. Her children are Darlington, 4, and Simon, 2. Lusaka, which has roughly 1 million residents, is a typical African capital city. Katherine lives in a 1-room apartment in Mutendere, a densely populated residential area. She is HIV positive, and knew her status 2 years before the birth of her first son.
Zambia is one of many African countries bearing the brunt of the AIDS pandemic, and Katherine's story is very common. She provides a case study of the impact AIDS has had on children in sub-Saharan Africa.
In Zambia, 70% of people live below the poverty line,' and a social-safety net is almost nonexistent. In fact, only 3 % of the population has any contact with the social-welfare system (Ministry of Health, Zambia, 1995). With an annual welfare budget of less than $1 per capita, little is available even for those who do receive help. Even supplemental aid from non-governmental organizations often does not have a significant impact, because very little of it actually reaches the people who need it most.
What does Katherine's HIV status mean for her and her children? It almost certainly means they will join Africa's growing legions of AIDS orphans. In Zambia, the months of sickness that precede an AIDS-related death have meant that the burden of caring for a sick parent often falls on the children, some as young as 6.
They may be forced to drop out of school to provide the necessary. care, and this almost guarantees that they face a limited future. In the Third World, education is key in rescuing children from the vicious cycle of poverty.
In Africa, AIDS has meant that childhood is lost for many children, who have prematurely taken on the adult roles of caregiver and guardian. These children are...