In March 2010, with staff of Alliance, India and their partner organizations, we revisited the 40 families of children infected (CLHA) and/or affected (CAA) by HIV who were identified in 2009.

As compared to one year ago, it was observed that most of the children and their families are doing quite well; only a few are not. Some have died; a few are or have been ill and several were started on ART (anti-retroviral therapy).

The most striking finding was that within the next 5-10 years, India is facing a potential major epidemic of teen age orphans, approximately 40% of them HIV infected!

There is no funding designated for the unique psycho-social, medical, nutritional and educational needs of adolescents. Currently, the Alliance project is the only one receiving funds specifically for children, and those funds will expire in July 2011….This is a loud wake up call for India which demands immediate attention and action on the part of both government and private funding organizations.

AIDS orphans continue to be the most forgotten faces of AIDS…
Potential Teen Orphans 2010 documents some of the future adolescent orphans of India.

~DMG