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9 million children made motherless by AIDS

Owen Bowcott

Thousands missing out on school

A 4-year-old AIDS orphan at Nyumbai Children's Home in Kenya waits to be fed, in this file photo. — PHOTO: AP

London: Nine million children in Africa will spend Mother's Day this year with no one to cherish because they have lost their mothers to AIDS, according to a British charity.

In a report published on Monday entitled "Missing On Mother's Day", the charity Save the Children says additional funds must be channelled towards millions of youngsters missing out on school in order to care for sick and dying parents.

``The AIDS pandemic robs millions of children of their childhoods as well as their mothers,'' Jasmine Whitbread, the organisation's chief executive says.

``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.'' Mother's Day this year falls on March 26.

Ms Whitbread added that of the 19 million women worldwide living with HIV/AIDS, at least 90 per cent are mothers, the vast majority living without adequate care and treatment.

Most aid packages have concentrated on supporting children only after their parents have died. In its report, Save the Children calls for at least $6.4 billion to be targeted at children and families.—

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

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