“The increased spiral of adult deaths in so many countries means that the number of children orphaned each day is expanding exponentially. Africa is staggering under the load.“ – Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa
A disturbing statistic to support the assertion of the amazing Stephen lewis, of an estimated 15 million children who have been orphaned (under 18) worldwide, 12 million of those live in Sub-Saharan Africa, where it is currently estimated that 9% of all children have lost at least one parent to AIDS
“UNAIDS, 2006 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic, Chapter 4: the impact of AIDS on people and societies”
By 2010, it is predicted that there will be around 15.7 million AIDS orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“UNAIDS/ UNICEF/ USAID, ‘Children on the Brink 2004: A joint report of new orphan estimates and a framework for action’ “