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Article of this month.
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We, Positive Women Network are pleased to circulate the recommendations that emerged from the recently held Joy n Joy, National Consultation for Children from 24th to 28th May at Delhi.
Recommendations for NACP III
Arising out of a consultation of children living with and affected by HIV and AIDS
A five-day consultation organized by Positive Women Network in partnership with UNICEF for children affected by HIV/AIDS was held in Delhi from 24th to 28th May 2006. 53 infected and affected children from 10 states participated in the process, which was facilitated by trained facilitators who were members of Positive Women Network (PWN+). Children shared their experiences and concerns on issues that ranged from social isolation, being orphaned, denial of services, access to education, emotional distress and their dreams and aspirations for the future. A separate document is under preparation on the process and the outcome of the consultation. Towards the end of the process, keeping the issues that emerged in mind, the NACP III document was revisited to see if all the major areas of concern had been addressed in the document.
The group recognized that Treatment, care and support for children were addressed comprehensively in NACP III with a view to provide ARV to 39000 children living with HIV per year. Key activities and indicators developed in programs providing care, support for children infected and affected with HIV and AIDS ensures improving the quality of lives of children.
While the document deals with most of the key components relating to children affected by AIDS, it is suggested the following issues can be incorporated to make it comprehensively responsive to the needs of children.
- The need for children’s support groups to be established at district level facilitated by positive women’s groups as a
part of care and support programs
- Ensuring access to correct information: Family,
extended family members, carers need to be provided with correct information
in supporting children
- Psychosocial support for children affected and
living with HIV and AIDS…need for trained child counselors or building
skills of counselors in counseling children,
- Revisit and revise existing guidelines for
counseling to address needs of children affected by HIV and AIDS
- Counselors to address violence against affected
children
- Ensuring access for parents/carers of affected
children with Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Widow pension, schemes for homeless women, Economic empowerment for SC/ST through THADCO, girl child marriage scheme, vocational training for girl children and various other support schemes
- Expert committee to explicitly monitor quality of
facilities for orphan children
- Evolve monitoring indicators for key indicators in
3.7.4 providing care support for children infected and
affected with HIV and AIDS.
- Prioritize stigma and discrimination reduction among
friends of children affected through School AIDS Education Program and
Adolescence Education program
- Involve children affected by HIV and AIDS in program
and policy designing, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. (GICA - Greater involvement of Children living with HIV/AIDS, Support for CAHA - Children affected by HIV and AIDS)
- Include measurement of stigma and discrimination
among school children and young people in the national BSS
- Key indicator in 3.7.4 – indicators, OVC to be
changed as Children infected, affected and orphaned by HIV and AIDS.
- Institutional strengthening for training, human
resource support and resources to build capacity support for children living
with HIV and AIDS in community, home based and institutional care.
- Need for specific schemes for economic support to the care of children living with and affected by HIV and AIDS.
Positive Women Network is an affiliated organization of Indian Network of People living with HIV and works exclusively for women and children affected by HIV in India.
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