For World AIDS Day, Cardinal Focuses on Children

(November 26, 2009) No child should have to suffer just because he was born in a country with a high AIDS rate and a poor medical system, declared the president of Caritas Internationalis. Focussing on World AIDS Day to be observed on December 1^st, Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, president of the agency, called for immediate action to prevent the deaths of children with HIV in poor countries. The theme this year is "Universal Access and Human Rights." The Prelate said that it is a basic human right that children grow up to become adults and yet half of children with HIV die before their second birthday because they live in poor countries where access to adequate care is limited. He lamented that for many, the promise of universal access is coming too late. The Caritas president called for support of the agency's Haart for Children campaign. HAART stands for Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy. The campaign encourages governments, pharmaceutical companies and the global community to ensure children have early access to HIV and TB testing and treatment. "No mother or father should have to watch helplessly as their child dies," the cardinal said. "No child should have to suffer because they were born in a country with a high AIDS rate and a poor health system. Universal access isn't about geography, it’s about humanity. It is estimated that up to2 million children under age 15 are living with HIV. Around 15 million children under 18 have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related illness.