AIDS has created 11.5 million orphans in Africa

Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Article Date: 12 Feb 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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Patience, Melody, Prudence, Memory ... the names of the children are lyrical. Their lives are anything but.

They are among the more than one million orphans in Zimbabwe, most of whom have lost one or both of their parents to AIDS. Along with Ishmael, Shinamo and Robson, and hundreds of thousands more, they are the young face -- and the most innocent victims -- of HIV and AIDS in Africa.

Across the African continent, the number of orphans is now estimated to be above 11.5 million, most attributable to AIDS. That will grow to 20 million in six short years. By 2010, in a dozen sub-Saharan countries, anywhere from 15 to 25 per cent of the children will be orphans.

Copyright 2004 The Vancouver Sun

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http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/news/archives/story.html?id=f1db0119-8080-4ce3-9271-48d68e14acf4

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Ghana: HIV Infection Rates Rising in Cities, Survey Shows

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=39438&SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=GHANA

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