PRESS RELEASE | April 2, 2003

Hope for African Children Initiative Applauds Bipartisan Support for AIDS Orphans in Hyde Bill

Washington DC (April 2) - In a promising show of support, Republicans and Democrats on the US House International Relations Committee unanimously passed an amendment to address the care and treatment of AIDS orphans.

Calling for $3 billion dollars of US spending on global AIDS programs in FY 2004, the US Leadership on AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003, sponsored by Reps. Hyde (R-IL), Lantos (D-CA), Lee (D-CA), Leach (R-IA), Weldon (R-FL) was approved 37 to 8. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) championed the orphan's amendment calling for 10% of funding to specifically care for AIDS orphans and vulnerable Children.

"Representative Rohrabacher courageously advocated on behalf of the youngest victims of the AIDS pandemic who can not speak for themselves. The amendment has the potential to save millions of children's lives. It is now up to Congress to ensure the funding for these programs is actually appropriated" stated Hope for African Children Initiative (HACI) Executive director, Dr. Pat Youri.

The Hope for African Children Initiative (HACI), was established by Plan International, World Vision, Save the Children, CARE, World Conference on Religion and Peace, and the Society for Women and AIDS in Africa to address the needs of orphans and vulnerable children in Africa. Along with hundreds of other humanitarian organizations, the Hope for African Children Initiative (HACI) partners strongly support the orphan's amendment, and encourage lawmakers to provide the desperately needed funding.

Dr. Youri noted, "It is extremely encouraging that both parties are in agreement on the seriousness of the AIDS orphans crisis, we can only hope that the Senate Foreign Relations committee has the same clarity of vision when considering their legislation."

The Hyde sponsored bill and the orphan's amendment could still have difficulty passing in the House as it recommends more funding than President Bush's plan. It is unclear whether House leadership, such as Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) or Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-TX), will allow the full House it to vote on it intact "Mr. Rohrabacher's leadership on behalf of the most vulnerable victims of the AIDS pandemic gives hope to children today and can have a lasting impact for generations to come," says Bruce Wilkinson, Senior Vice president for International Programs for World Vision.

The impact of the AIDS epidemic on children is most evident in the tragic loss of parents, aunts, uncles and neighbors who once provided stability and protection for children. As a result, there has been a rapid increase in the number of children who are malnourished, sexually exploited (sometimes in exchange for food), forced to join militias and street gangs, exploited for cheap labour and forced to drop out of school to care for younger siblings.

By 2005, there will be more than 20 million AIDS orphans around the world. In Africa alone, UNAIDS, UNICEF and USAID estimate that by 2001, 11 million African children under the age of 15 were orphaned by AIDS. By 2005 that number is projected to surpass 16 million¹.

Contact: Jennifer A. Delaney--Hope for African Children Initiative Mobile: 410-905-4430/ Tel: 703-807-1264; jdelaney@hopeforafricanchildren.org

¹ "Children on the Brink 2002: A Joint Report on Orphan Estimates and Program Strategies" UNPAID, UNICEF, USAID. July 2002. Appendix I: Statistical Tables, 2001-Africa and 2005-Africa .