Lesotho's Department of Social Welfare says more must be done to address the needs of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC).
Limakatso Chisepo, director of the department, told PlusNews that talks should be translated into interventions relevant to the plight of thousands of children.
"It is fine to say, 'yes, we are rolling out treatment to HIV-positive children', and that we are engaged in talks to make social grants available to those people providing foster care, but are we actually doing enough?" Chisepo asked.
Only 857 of about 22,000 HIV-positive children are accessing treatment at 57 sites in Lesotho.
Chisepo was also concerned about the amount of time spent by government officials on approving the 'National Policy for OVC', on which there had been no progress since 2004.
"I do feel that senior government officials involved in reviewing the policy could pick up the pace. We need laws that protect the rights of these children when it comes to their health, care and treatment," said Sefora Makepa-Tsiu, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Social Policy Officer in Lesotho.
Without the proper policy and laws in place, the estimated 180,000 OVC might also become the targets of various forms of abuse, Makepa-Tsiu said.
Private institutions registered with the government had 414 beds, but the government did not provide any orphanages or shelters.
"It is time for the government to join forces with those NGOs already making some headway in addressing the plight of these children, to stop the occurring abuses," Makepa-Tsiu.
In an effort to register and track the movement of both OVC and their foster caregivers, UNICEF has been working closely with the Department of Social Welfare to develop an electronic database of all OVC in the country.
"We need every bit of support we can get if we are to make a noticeable difference in the lives of the children, who have already lost so much," Chisepo said.
The Department of Social Welfare is looking forward to some US$15 million from the European Union to boost its existing efforts.
//This article is part of an IRIN/PlusNews series on HIV/AIDS and communities of humanitarian concern. Visit: PlusNews. //
Limakatso Chisepo, director of the department, told PlusNews that talks should be translated into interventions relevant to the plight of thousands of children.
"It is fine to say, 'yes, we are rolling out treatment to HIV-positive children', and that we are engaged in talks to make social grants available to those people providing foster care, but are we actually doing enough?" Chisepo asked.
Only 857 of about 22,000 HIV-positive children are accessing treatment at 57 sites in Lesotho.
Chisepo was also concerned about the amount of time spent by government officials on approving the 'National Policy for OVC', on which there had been no progress since 2004.
"I do feel that senior government officials involved in reviewing the policy could pick up the pace. We need laws that protect the rights of these children when it comes to their health, care and treatment," said Sefora Makepa-Tsiu, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Social Policy Officer in Lesotho.
Without the proper policy and laws in place, the estimated 180,000 OVC might also become the targets of various forms of abuse, Makepa-Tsiu said.
Private institutions registered with the government had 414 beds, but the government did not provide any orphanages or shelters.
"It is time for the government to join forces with those NGOs already making some headway in addressing the plight of these children, to stop the occurring abuses," Makepa-Tsiu.
In an effort to register and track the movement of both OVC and their foster caregivers, UNICEF has been working closely with the Department of Social Welfare to develop an electronic database of all OVC in the country.
"We need every bit of support we can get if we are to make a noticeable difference in the lives of the children, who have already lost so much," Chisepo said.
The Department of Social Welfare is looking forward to some US$15 million from the European Union to boost its existing efforts.
//This article is part of an IRIN/PlusNews series on HIV/AIDS and communities of humanitarian concern. Visit: PlusNews. //
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
Share this article
