Silent Killer

India has the second largest number of HIV-positive people in the world.

Among the estimated 5.1 million people living with the disease in India, 15% are children under the age of 15. The vast proportion of those who contract HIV do so from their mothers during birth or through breastfeeding.

Children living with HIV and AIDS live under the burden of secrecy. The truth about their diagnosis is often hidden and at present only 10% of the issues recorded are disease-based while the remaining 90% are issues relating to stigmatization. Hundreds of the thousands of children living with HIV and AIDS are children of infected parents. The children who suffer in many ways are often unable to complete their education and need to stay at home to take care of sick parents; many are forced out to work to earn an income in place of their parent’s. An increasing number of children are becoming orphans.

Although the Indian government has not yet conducted studies to assess the number of children affected by HIV and AIDS, some experts estimate that more than 1 million children under age 15 have lost one or both parents due to HIV and AIDS related illnesses.

NB: Media ethical codes are demanding that the identity of HIV-positive children are not to revealed.

South India 2010