By Wilson Kagabo
THE NEW TIMES

Rwanda has one of the highest proportion of orphans in the world and many of which are caused by the HIV/Aids pandemic, this was disclosed by the UNICEF residence representative Keith Bintou, while addressing a recent workshop on paediatric treatment care and support of children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS at the Hotel Intercontinental Kigali recently.

Bintou noted that the need for specific care and treatment to these children was needed if the country is to ensure total development.

“The country’s successes cannot disguise the huge magnitude of the problems facing the most vulnerable amongst all Rwandans, yet those on whom the greatest hopes for a better future are deposited. Children are the most innocent victims of all. They deserve all of our concerted attention. The problems they face are complex, multi-faceted and must be tackled in a holistic manner,” Bintou urged.

Statistics reveal that 12million children in Africa are orphaned by AIDS and the number is expected to hike to 18million by 2010. According to the UNAIDS estimates in 2004, HIV/AIDS prevalence among the Rwandan youth age between 15-24 years was 8.5%.

Out of 250,000 people living with HIV in Rwanda, 20,000 are children between ages 0 and 14. 40% of the Rwandan population was under 15 years of age and 60 % below the age of 20 years.

However, children under the ARVs treatment are 719, who represent only 10% of the children in need of the therapy. Rwanda has one of the world’s highest child mortality rates, with one in every five children dying before their fifth birthday.

Bintou cited very limited access to health services, no available specialised services for children, insufficient and lacking paediatric dosages of drugs or specialised training of practitioners as some of the constraints these vulnerable children meet.

She said all these resulted from lack of parental supervision, lack of information and grave economic difficulties.

“They (children) are often left to fend for themselves in addressing issues that represent the choice between life and death,” she bemoaned.

In 2004, 40million people worldwide were infected by the scourge. Two-thirds of those infections live in Sub Saharan Africa the home to about 10% of the world’s population. The President of the National AIDS Control Commission (CNLS) Reverend Nathan Gasatura commented on the figures saying, “These figures constitute in our country are a great concern which affects all sectors and ages without discrimination.”

Gasatura added that the conference would sort out all these problems and find suitable measures.

“In this meeting we will be able to sort out actual needs, discuss on amendment of policies or elaboration of new policies, review strategies, set up an action plan which meets the identified needs and mobilisation of necessary funds for its implementation.”

The country has received a commitment of appropriately US$ 300million from various donors for five years to implement the National strategic framework.

The Minister of Gender and Family Promotion Valerie Nyirahabineza said enormous outputs were expected from the conference.

“The conference will advocate for commitment of resources to support capacity building and provision of comprehensive and quality services for prevention, treatment care and support of children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and mobilise the local government to push institutions and bring children infected and affected to prevention, treatment and care and support services among others. She said that at the end of the symposium, a task team would be set up to monitor the implementation of paediatric HIV/AIDS, prevention, treatment and care action plan. During the meeting, the Minister of Infrastructure Evaliste Bizimana launched new postage stamps highlighting that 30% of the sales would be attributed to the CNLS to support children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Participants were drawn from all the provinces including community, public and private sector representatives.