In the concluding section of this literature review, it should be reiterated that there are 12.3 million orphans due to HIV/AIDS (2003 estimate) in sub-Saharan Africa and that this number will continue to rise in the coming years. This phenomenon has broken down and reconstructed intergenerational solidarity, which played a vital role in supporting children. This flood of orphans due to the AIDS epidemic has saturated these support systems and has led to stigmatisation that victimizes these children. Thus, this alarming situation has intensified the vulnerability of those who are most vulnerable: children.
Communities and families are the first in line to respond to the orphan crisis given that African governments and the international community have been slow to consider this problem with accordingly weak current policies and actions for orphans and vulnerable children. Even if this response is still imperfect, there is a reorganization of intergenerational solidarity within communities and families in order to adapt to the dramatic consequences of the AIDS epidemic.
The lack of research in this domain remains a concern particularly in terms of families’ and communities’ commitment to support orphans and vulnerable children in an HIV/AIDS context. Moreover, research is needed on questions surrounding the definition of orphans and vulnerable children as well as the stigma that victimizes them within communities, and on orphans and vulnerable children in a context of crisis.
The following issues are research priorities that should be explored by researchers in collaboration with development actors:
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| Acknowledgments |