Coordination for Children and HIV and AIDS in East Asian Pacific Region - Inter-Agency Mechanisms

A Call to Action: Children – The missing face of AIDS Inter-Agency Task Team on Children and HIV and AIDS Meeting April Yoshimi Nishino HIV/AIDS Specialist East Asia Regional Office UNICEF

Regional Partnership and Major Initiatives 1.East Asia-Pacific Regional Consultation Scaling up response for children – Hanoi Call to Action in March ASEAN Summit Declaration on HIV and AIDS January UN Regional Partnership Forum of Children and AIDS, presented at Asia Pacific Regional Directors Forum created March Other events happening as results of Hanoi consultation

Children and AIDS as Emergency Issues in Asia Impacts on children are serious in Asia 120,700 children living with HIV and AIDS 46,900 children were newly infected 155,400 mothers needed MTCT 35,000 children needed ART 1.5 million children had been orphaned (in 2004 from presentations of Tim Brown and Neff Walker and at ICAAP in Kobe)

# of Children affected by AIDS in EAP Country At least one parent died of AIDS Double orphans Children living with HIV Thailand300,80030,000-- Cambodia60,000 (being revised) --12,000 Papua New Guinea (3.000)- 9,400?--5,393 China (end 2005, unofficial) 146,000 single & double orphans 470,000 orphaned or living in a household with an HIV+ parent(s) 9,000 (in 2005 alone thru MTCT) Vietnam283,000 (being revised) --19,200 Source: Various country assessments by MOPH, UNICEF or UNCT

Contributions of the Hanoi Consultation Gained Governmental Commitment to act of issues of children in the context of HIV and AIDS Integrated children & HIV/AIDS issues into ASEAN declaration (higher-level political commitment) Raised Recognition of the importance of data collection National Assessments of Children, Creation Data Hub, and estimation work on HIV Input for UN Partnership Forum Created coordination for children and AIDS at the country level (Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, PNG etc) Efforts of follow up and planning for the next regional meeting

ASEAN Commitment on HIV and AIDS in Cebu, January 2007 Cebu commitment acknowledge the Hanoi Call to Actions for Children and HIV/AIDS and recognizes the needs for actions. NOTING the Hanoi Call to Action for Children and HIV/AIDS in East Asia and the Pacific Region of 24 March 2006, which highlights nine urgent actions to scale up response to children who are vulnerable to, infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. Strengthen the role of the ASEAN Task Force on AIDS to effectively implement regional responses to HIV.. ASEAN Task Force Work plan was drafted and presented to participants at KL meeting, January Mutli-agencies (Governments, UNICEF, UNDP, UNESCO, UNAIDS etc) committed to support proposed activities.

Regional Partnership Forum on Children & AIDS Objectives: To advocate the rights of children by highlighting emerging areas of concerns To share programs experiences & research findings for policy advocacy/programming To coordinate on technical matters & information on program costs and resource needs.

Regional Partnership Forum on Children & AIDS: Proposed tasks and actions Knowledge diffusion on children and HIV/AIDS (country estimations, analyses, research methods and analytical guidelines). Encourage data collection, assessments and reviews of legislation & policies, development of guidelines for the protection, support and care of OVCs and CABA. Encourage the development of country-specific targets and action plans for children. Advocate for: Increased resources, and better allocation and utilization thereof, to the level necessary for an adequate response to children (OVC and CABA). Establishment of national multi-sectoral mechanisms that focus on children and will help to coordinate scaled-up responses. Actions to reduce stigma / discrimination and other obstacles to access by all children to essential services. Expanded efforts to protect children without caregivers through family- and community- based care and support options. National monitoring and evaluation systems. Support regional and international networking, information sharing and research to scale up national responses.

Regional Partnership Forum on Children & AIDS: Membership and Organization Core members: Representatives / technical focal points from regional UN agencies, including UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA, UNESC, ILO and UNAIDS as well as representatives of major civil society organizations and INGOs eg. Family Health International, the Save the Children, Plan International, etc Additional members may be invited by core members on the basis of individual expertise and capacity to encourage support from their organizations and that of their partners to implement the proposed activities Proposed government members: China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand and Vietnam (by population sizes, stage of epidemic and current responses)

Other Recent Partnerships Events: 1.AIDS Commissions of Asia and Pacific was created – OVC Policy recommendations based on costing and estimation data 2CHINA and Regional Meeting -Chinese MCA is interested in organizing a regional meeting of AIDS orphans this year. 3CAMBODIA - The National Multi-sectoral OVC Task Force is currently undertaking a situation analysis of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) 4.VIETNAM – National Plan of Actions for children and HIV is being drafted by inter-agency partnership group 5.ESTIMATION and projection of HIV Epi trends (coordination with UNAIDS, CDC, WHO etc) 6.NATIONAL ASSESSMENTS of Children (Indonesia, China, Malaysia). Partnership with local universities 7.Data Hub created for Asia and Pacific (with UNAIDS, ADB), etc.

Recommendations for IATT Based on reflections IMPROVED INFORMATION EXCHANGE AND KM to fill the information gaps between the region and the international levels as well as among agencies (data, policy directions) FACILITATING HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUES on OVC policies and children affected by HIV and AIDS and advocacy inside and outside the core donor agencies EXPAND REGIONAL COMPARISONS AND FEEDBACK to each region (low or high prevalence) MORE RESOURCE mobilization and support STRENGTHEN LINKAGES with specialized international researchers (social protections, costing, estimation/projection, policy experts etc.) and professional resource sharing among agencies

Thank you!