Young children impacted by AIDS need crucial education and support

This post was originally published on the Theirworld website.

Early childhood development, including pre-primary education, can play a huge role in ensuring marginalised children get the best start in life.

Life is challenging for children who live in communities impacted by HIV/AIDS. Over two million of them are HIV positive themselves – and millions more are suffering the effects of the virus on their parents and families.

Without nurturing care and early childhood development (ECD), vulnerable youngsters under the age of five are in danger of being left behind. But investment in these crucial early years is lacking – less than 1% of education aid goes on pre-primary and developing countries are not investing enough in the future of their under-fives.

A framework of support that includes quality early childhood development and access to pre-primary education is absolutely crucial. Theirworld has been calling for ECD and pre-primary to be prioritised within education strategies – and that must include funding for children impacted by HIV/AIDS.

Here we look at the issues of ECD and HIV/AIDS, and the help children need.

Read the full story here.