Sheldon Shaeffer and Annelene Rr UNESCO BangkokAccess to Care for Orphans and Vulnerable ChildrenUNESCOs strategy for HIV/AIDS preventive educationFighting HIV/AIDS through preventive education is no single-point programme. UNESCOs priority in preventive education is directed towards 5 core tasks: Advocacy at all levels; Customizing the message; Changing risk behaviour; Caring for the infected and affected; Coping with the institutional impact of HIV/AIDS.HIV/AIDS and Children Worldwide, UNAIDS estimates that 3 million children are HIV+ or live with AIDS Mother to Child transmission - pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding - ART, caesarian - Antibodies Worldwide UNAIDS estimates that more than 14 million children under the age of 15 are orphaned due to AIDSToward Common Definitions Orphan - a child (below age 18) who has lost one or both parents. Children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS - children who: Have lost one or both parents, or Have a chronically ill parent, or Live in a household where at least one adult has been sick for at least 3 months or has died, or Live outside family care (in institutions or on the street)Source: Guide to Monitoring National Responses, UNICEF 2005.Continuum of Impact and Response to HIV/AIDSImpacts of AIDS on children and young peopleMaterial impactPsycho-emotional impactSocial impactPsycho-emotional impact Children lose their family unit and safety net. Knowledge of parents HIV status can result in shock and shame. Distancing of HIV-positive parents from their children can lead to stress, depression, confusion and a feeling of not being loved. The stigma of death from AIDS can result in incomplete mourning.Social impact Friends, neighbors, and family members often react strongly against people infected with HIV/affected by AIDS, including their children. Persons living with HIV/AIDS are often stigmatised, exploited, and marginalised. Negative reactions are usually based on moral judgments attached to AIDS and on fear based on misconceptions about transmission.Material impact Poverty often hits families affected by AIDS, leading to loss of livelihood skills and indigenous knowledge, reduced income and assets, fewer resources for education and health care, and food insecurity/malnutrition. Combined with other impacts, this results in reduced access to education and medical services, especially for girls and women.How can the education sector respond to psycho-emotional impact? Teachers need to understand the results of the shock and shame mechanism poor performance and even withdrawal from school. Curricula and teaching activities should include messages and coping mechanisms dealing with grief, loss, and death. Schools must become protective “sanctuaries” for children - not places of risk but rather learning environments especially “friendly” to AIDS-affected children.How can the education sector respond to social impact? Teachers need to understand and be sensitive to affected childrens social needs. Teachers can be role models by treating children affected by AIDS normally not marginalizing them but involving them in learning activities. Curriculum and teaching activities should include messages on compassion, care, and support for people affected by AIDS.How can the education sector respond to material impact? At the national level, scholarship programs for children in difficult circumstances should be expanded to include children affected by AIDS or fees and other costs can be reduced/eliminated for such children At the community level, NGOs and religious organizations should be mobilized by teachers to identify vulnerable, excluded children and provide material support for children from AIDS affected families.Society/GovernmentCommunityFamilyDynamics of Care for OVCsChild Global Goals Develop and implement national policies to support OVCS. Ensure full and equal enjoyment of human rights. Urge international support. Guiding Human Rights Principles Best Interests of the child Non-discrimination Right to survival, well- being and development Respect for the views of the child.Five Key Strategies Strengthen the capacity of families to protect and care for orphans and vulnerable children. Mobilize and support community-based responses. Ensure access to essential services. Ensure that governments protect the most vulnerable children. Raise awareness to create a supportive environment for children affected by HIV/AIDS.UNESCO Bangkok activities ”Strengthening partnerships in education for children vulnerable to HIV/AIDS in the Mekong sub-region” joint workshop with UNICEF EAPRO, September 2003 ”Analysis of responses to children affected by HIV/AIDS in Thailand” - joint activity with UNICEF Thailand - Consultations - Study ”Strengthening the community through school- based approach to mitigate problems o