[Press Kit]

15
Zambia: Supporting
community commitment

Challenges for the future
Lack of administrative capacity at the
national level coupled with inadequate resources has made it difficult
for the Government to keep up with
the growing pandemic. At the same
time, research and data collection
need to be improved in order to assess
the severity and scope of the problems
presented by the large number of
orphans and respond effectively.
The dedication and solidarity of
community members across the
country have been a major factor in
the progress that has been achieved
so far. At the same time, a strong
collaborative effort between the
Government, NGOs, communitybased organizations and churches,
with support from UNICEF, has
helped strengthen Malawi's orphan
programme in recent years. U

After Uganda, Zambia has the highest
proportion of children orphaned by
AIDS in the world. By the end of
1997, some 360,000 children - 9
per cent of children under 15 - were
orphaned because of AIDS, and the
numbers are increasing rapidly.
But families already worn out by
widespread and extreme poverty are
stretched beyond their capacity.
About 80 per cent of the country's
rural population is considered to be
living below the poverty line, more
than 50 per cent of children are
chronically malnourished and large
numbers of families are forced to
ration food. It has been estimated that
42 per cent of all young Zambian
children suffer from stunted growth.
Families are having difficulty
coping in urban areas as well, and
many children have been forced onto

In Zambia, by the end of
1997, some 360,000
children - 9% of the children
under 15 - were orphaned
because of AIDS, and the
numbers are increasing
rapidly. Two brothers in
Lusaka, Zambia, wash
clothes outside the house
where they have lived with
a foster family since being
orphaned by AIDS.