· In 2009, 10% (1.2 Million) of Zambia's population are orphans.*
· 78% of orphans in Zambia were orphaned by AIDS.*
· Just 13% of orphans and vulnerable children receive free basic external support.*
· AIDS is the most serious threat to the development agenda in Zambia.* *UNAIDS Report
The little country of Zambia, nestled in the heart of Africa has one of the highest number of orphaned children of any country in the world. It is estimated that 27% of all children in Zambia have lost their mother, father or both parents. It is estimated by some that in the urban areas three-quarters of families are already caring for at least one orphaned child. The number of orphaned children who live on the streets in Zambia has increased 250% in the past ten years.
Zambia is also one of the African countries hardest hit by HIV/AIDS. About 19 percent of children under 18, or 1.1 million, are orphans, most of them due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. About 70 percent of the population earns less than US$1 per day, so families, communities and schools are overstretched in their efforts to care for children. Many households are now headed by children as young as eleven who are forced to forego the education they need to prepare for a harsh economic environment as they struggle to care for their younger siblings.
Officials from Zambia's HIV/AIDS program estimate that 25,000 children in the country are infected with HIV annually, with most of the infections occurring prenatally, at the time of birth, or from breast-feeding. The ministry reports that more than 95 percent of mothers breast feed their children during the first few months of life; however, most HIV-positive mothers have few--if any—other alternatives.HIV infection was as high as 25 percent in urban areas and up to 13 percent in rural areas.
