UNICEF praises China's AIDS policies, urges more be done for affected children

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today praised China for developing policies for combating HIV/AIDS but urged that even more be done to protect and care for the children affected by the epidemic.

Addressing the opening session of a one-day seminar in Beijing on "Care and Love for Children affected by HIV/AIDS," UNICEF country representative Christian Voumard told the gathering of high-ranking government officials, experts and civil society organizations that China had rightly moved from "the what" to addressing "the how" in working to turn back the epidemic.

Urging Seminar participants to do yet more to care for children, Mr. Voumard told of how HIV/AIDS touched every aspect of youngsters' lives, emphasizing that "the emotional toll alone can be devastating as children suffer from isolation, loss of self-esteem and depression."

Peter McDermott, chief of UNICEF's Global Unit on HIV/AIDS, saw two major obstacles to moving forward with policy development: the lack of scientific understanding of how HIV/AIDS affects children in China, and the need to reduce discrimination against children affected by HIV/AIDS and their families.

The seminar was hosted by the China National Committee for the Care of Children (CNCCC) in Beijing's Great Hall of the People.