Meeting the Essential Needs of All Children

This chapter provides figures on the scale of the problem of children affected by AIDS. It details the impact on children infected and affected by the disease, and describes the different ways in which it affects families, communities, and children's lives, including their health, development, and education. The chapter concretely examines why it is essential to meet the needs of children affected by AIDS, if we are to successfully meet the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals. It looks at how programs and public policies designed to address the health, education, and income needs of all children will be particularly important to children affected by AIDS. This chapter both summarizes key findings and highlights what later chapters will address in greater detail.