Theme: Africa Fit for Children: “Call for Accelerated Action towards their Survival.”

 On June 16 the world will commemorate an important day on the calendar, the International Day of the African Child. This is a day that takes us back to the 1976 Soweto uprising, when thousands of black schoolchildren took to the streets to protest against the South African apartheid regime’s policies, which made life a nightmare for each African child.

In the two weeks of protests, more than 100 people were killed and more than 1,000 were injured. The then Organisation of African Unity (now African Union) consequently dedicated a day to the honour of these brave actions.

Key Issues:

As we prepare to commemorate the day, it is important to think about the many children who are dying because of inadequate health systems and the many more who are growing up without mothers and fathers, because their parents failed to access antiretroviral treatment to prolong their lives.

Worldwide, it is estimated that more than 15 million children under 18 have been orphaned as a result of AIDS. Around 11.6 million of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa. In countries badly affected by the epidemic such as Zambia and Botswana, it is estimated that 20 percent of children under 17 are orphans - and have lost one or both parents to AIDS. 

Even with the expansion of antiretroviral treatment access, it is estimated that by 2015, the number of orphaned children will still be overwhelming.

As journalists we have the opportunity to look closely into whether our governments and leaders, from community level going up, are doing their best to ensure that children in southern Africa have access to all the basics that a child needs in order to grow up strong and healthy.

We have the opportunity at this time to question why close to 1 million children die of malaria every year, when much of the impact of malaria on children can be prevented with simple interventions.

We have the opportunity to send a strong message that Africa’s children deserve to be fed, to go to school, and to be born free of HIV through the scale-up of prevention of mother to child transmission services.

If children are living with HIV, we need to lobby for access to medication and healthcare services when needed. This is especially crucial now when children born with HIV are reaching their 20s.

How prepared is Africa to deal with this situation?

As we commemorate the International Day of the African Child, it is also important to look into the issue of wars and strife and child trafficking. As economic woes in some parts of the region intensify, some children are crossing borders in the search of a better life only to be exploited by those they trust. The media needs to add its voice to those speaking out against Child Trafficking.

Most importantly make the children’s voices be heard through your stories and programmes this time.

Sources:

www.christianaid.org.uk

www.femnet.or.ke

www.unicef.org/media/media

www.worldmalariaday.org

www.avert.org/aidsorphans.htm