Why UNICEF?

For nearly 60 years UNICEF has been the world’s leader for children, with 8,000 staff members on the ground in 158 countries to help children survive and thrive from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for poor countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, quality basic education for all boys and girls, access to clean water and sanitation, and the protection of children from AIDS, violence and exploitation. UNICEF is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from governments, businesses, foundations and individuals. UNICEF’s budget for 2005 is approximately US $1.7 billion. In addition to its field operations in the developing world, UNICEF has 37 national committees that serve to educate, advocate and fundraise for UNICEF in industrialized countries.

Everything UNICEF does is guided by the principles in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which recognizes that children have the right to develop physically, mentally and socially to their fullest potential and to express opinions freely. HIV/AIDS is one of UNICEF’s primary concerns because the epidemic is undermining so many of these basic child rights. UNICEF is one of the key UN agencies in the fight against HIV.

UNICEF is mobilizing financial resources and helping persuade governments to put HIV/AIDS at the top of their agendas. UNICEF is working with governments, non-profit organizations and religious groups, youth organizations and many other partners around the world to combat the epidemic.

At all levels the priority is to ensure the urgent, substantial and sustained scaling-up of effective action in three key areas:

(1) Ensure protection, care and support for orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS.

With UNICEF’s leadership, The Framework for the Protection, Care and Support of Orphans and Vulnerable Children Living in a World with HIV/AIDS (July 2004), has been developed and widely endorsed by international partners working to address the complex and far-reaching impacts of HIV/AIDS on millions of children and young people. The Framework provides guidance to both donor nations and governments of affected countries on responding to the urgent needs of children impacted by HIV/AIDS. The key strategies are to:

  • strengthen the capacity of families to protect and care for children by prolonging the lives of parents and providing economic, psychosocial and other support;

  • mobilize and support community-based responses to provide both immediate and long-term assistance to vulnerable households;

  • ensure access of orphans and other vulnerable children to essential services, including education, health care and birth registration;

  • ensure that governments protect the most vulnerable children through improved policy and legislation and by channelling resources to communities; and

  • create a supportive environment for all children affected by HIV/AIDS.

    (2) Care, support and treatment for children, young people and families living with HIV/AIDS, including preventing mother-to-child transmission and paediatric AIDS.

    • Half of the 40 million people living with HIV are women; more than 2 million children under 15 are living with HIV.

    Even in resource poor settings with limited public health capacities, interventions to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV are highly effective. UNICEF spearheaded the earliest efforts in developing countries to implement effective mother-to-child prevention programmes and continues to play a leading role in this area. Strategies include providing counselling and HIV testing for pregnant women in antenatal settings, providing short course antiretroviral treatment for mothers and babies, safe delivery practices and counselling of mothers on the best and safest infant feeding practices. Treating of HIV-positive women with long-term ARV therapy has now become a critical component of these programmes so that women receiving treatment are living longer, healthier and more productive lives and can better take care of their children.

    (3) Prevent HIV infection among children and young people.
    Preventing new HIV infections is the key to ultimately defeating AIDS. When properly equipped, children and young people do make responsible choices. Yet they urgently need the information, skills and services to prevent infection and continue to lead healthy lives. They also need care and support to alleviate the effects of the disease. HIV/AIDS cannot be cured, but it can be treated and its transmission can be halted.
    UNICEF is working with governments and other partners to develop national education programs that include HIV/AIDS education. We are also working with youth and community organizations as well as faith-based group to reach children who are not in school through radio programmes, television, peer education projects and parents. Other efforts include supporting peer education programmes and setting up counselling centres in which young people learn about HIV/AIDS through group talks, sports and performances.
    Around the world, children of all ages are increasingly speaking out and getting involved. They are presenting their views at regional summits and logging onto internet discussions with other children. They are playing a central role in reaching out to their peers and telling the world they are deeply concerned about HIV/AIDS and that they are eager to help confront the disease head-on.