Regional workshop targets AIDS orphans

Southern African countries still lack the capacity to effectively deal with the problem of HIV/AIDS orphans, a regional workshop has heard. The five-day meeting, attended by 10 countries, is currently underway in Maseru, Lesotho, and aims to draw up technical strategies to deal with children affected by the pandemic. Lesotho spokeswoman for UNICEF Amina Said told the UN news service PlusNews: "The objective is to come away with a manual to assist these countries. They all have a problem with orphans and either don't know how to handle it, or are not sure they are handling it properly." Commenting on the problem, Said noted: "Lesotho has done very little. There's a little bit here and there, with no streamlining and cohesion." She pointed out that while there had been "some movement" within government departments to strengthen their response to orphans, countries like Lesotho were in particular need of guidance.