National Workshop on working with Children living with HIV/AIDS

[Guest guest]

The India HIV/AIDS Alliance hosted a National Workshop on Working with Children

Living with HIV/AIDS on 3rd and 4th May 2006 in New Delhi. The key objectives of

this workshop were to enhance understanding about issues of children living with

HIV/AIDS and to develop practical programme and policy recommendations for

providing care, support and treatment to children living with HIV.

This workshop was well attended by over 70 participants from 6 states in India.

The workshop had representatives from the National AIDS Control Organisation

(NACO), WHO, UNICEF UNAIDS, DFID, EU and the Delhi State AIDS Control Society.

Programme staff from over 38 NGOS, working in the field of HIV/AIDS,

participated in the deliberations of the workshop.

The first day’s programme comprised two plenary sessions which focused on

providing an overview of the current situation facing HIV positive children in

India, current government responses to the situation, and programming responses

from civil society. Plenary presentations were made by WHO, UNICEF, Family

Health International, the Clinton Foundation, NAZ Foundation India, MAMTA,

SEARCH and the India HIV/AIDS Alliance. This was followed by case study

discussions and group work on five thematic issues (health & nutrition, stigma &

discrimination, education, protection, and psychosocial support), in which

children also participated. The second day focused on policy issues relating to

positive children. Presentations were made on the key recommendations arising

from the group work and on findings from the Alliance’s draft Children and

HIV/AIDS Policy Review. A panel discussion comprising representatives of

government, UN agencies, positive networks and NGOs, further discussed and

refined the list of recommendations for practical action from the meeting

The recommendations can be downloaded from the India page of the International

HIV/AIDS Alliance website. Direct link to PDF:

http://synkronweb.aidsalliance.org/graphics/secretariat/publications/Positive_Ch\

ildren_Worksh_Recommendations.pdf

Thanks and regards

Dr.Sangeeta Kaul

Senior Programme Officer: Care and Support

India HIV/AIDS Alliance, New Delhi

e-mail: <skaul@...>