ECD and HIV/AIDS

In this section of the ECD website you will find information on the World Bank activities on issues pertaining to young children affected by HIV AIDS.

You will also find information on resources on ECD and HIV AIDS, information on organizations involved in HIV AIDS prevention and mitigation, and information on funding sources.

• Why focus on very young children affected by HIV/AIDS
• The Operational Guidelines for Supporting ECD in Multi-Sectoral HIV/AIDS Programs in Africa
• The ECD HIV AIDS Workshop in Dar es Salaam 

Orphans and other Vulnerable Children (OVC) compromise children ages 0 - 18 who are most at risk of increased negative outcomes in their lives compared with “average” children in their society. The negative outcomes include severe malnutrition, above-average rates of morbidity and mortality, lower-than-average rates of school attendance and completion of primary school, and increased burden of work (both paid and unpaid child labor).

Children ages 0 to 5 affected by HIV/AIDS are the most vulnerable subgroup under the broad definition of OVC.Young children ages 0–5 years are especially vulnerable because these early years have lifelong effects and their survival and success depends on the nurturing quality of their environment. Young children affected by HIV/AIDS are cared for by vulnerable families and reside in vulnerable communities. These children may suffer from loss of family and identity, psycho-social stress, lack of essential care, loss of inheritance, forced migration, homelessness, malnutrition, and fewer opportunities for schooling, education and health care.  These factors make young children more at risk for starvation, poor cognitive and social development, susceptible to childhood diseases and mortality, dropping out of school, becoming involved in crime, child labor, prostitution, and exposure to HIV infection later in life.   

The flow diagram below illustrates the negative implications of HIV/AIDS on child born into an AIDS-affected community.

 
                                                                                                                             

This initiative began in early 2002 when in the process of designing a MAP project for Sierra Leone, a need for greater focus on young children emerged. A gap was identified across several countries: ECD was not programmed for under HIV AIDS programs, and there was limited know-how on linking community efforts to resources available. The World Bank prepared a draft of an operational guide - a tool to provide the know how to access MAP funds. Subsequently this guide evolved to a joint UNICEF/UNAIDS/World Bank document.  The Operational Guidelines for Supporting ECD in Multi-Sectoral HIV/AIDS programs in Africa was launched in September 2003. The three UN agencies agreed to support a three day workshop in Dar es Salaam for 5 Anglophone countries to "operationalize" the Guidelines. 

The ECD HIV AIDS Workshop in Dar es Salaam April 2004

The ECD HIV/AIDS Workshop was held in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, April 13th to 16th. The workshop was co-sponsored by the World Bank, UNICEF, and UNAIDS.  About thirty representatives from Government line ministries (health, community development and gender, education), the National AIDS Commission/Secretariat, and the civil society from Ghana, Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia, and the United Republic of Tanzania participated in the workshop. 

The workshop objectives were to accelerate the early child development response in the context of HIV AIDS, to learn how to access MAP funding for ECD AIDS activities, and to prepare a two-year ECD HIV/AIDS Action Plan.  At the closing of the workshop, participants presented a statement  "ECD  HIV/AIDS --A Way Forward" to Dr Temba, chair of TACAIDS, and Hon. Hilda Ausi Gondwe, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children. Country teams went back to their countries to present the draft ECD HIV/AIDS action plans to the major stakeholders. Additional funding has been granted to country teams through a World Bank Institutional Development Fund to pursue the ECD AIDS agenda and implement the most inmediate activities.

For more information on the Dar workshop materials and documents see below:

• The connections between ECD and HIV/AIDS [ppt]
• The Operational Guidelines for Supporting Early Child Development in Multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS Programs in Sub Saharan Africa   
• The Dar Workshop documents
  • Country presentations (powerpoint): 
    • Ghana 
    • Malawi
    • Rwanda
    • Tanzania
    • Zambia  
  • Closing remarks 
  • Workshop report
  • Press release