(VOVworld) – Vietnam’s national plan of action for children affected by HIV/AIDS for the 2014-2020 period targets giving 90% of these children access to health care, education, consultation, nutrition, physical development, and entertainment. According to the plan, they will be given schooling opportunities by all schools in Vietnam.
Implementation of the plan requires the involvement of political and social organizations and the community in protecting and caring for children affected by HIV/AIDS. The Vietnam Association for the Protection of Children’s Rights has played a leading role in this effort. It has carried out communications campaign on protecting children’s rights with a particular focus on HIV/AIDS-affected children. It has trained a number of journalists to work with HIV/AIDS-affected children and cooperated with its local branches to help disadvantaged children.
Vu Kim Hoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Child Care and Protection, said the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Training, and provincial People’s Committees have established a coordinating committee to implement the national plan of action for children affected by HIV/AIDS. The committee will review and recommend policies on the protection and care for HIV/AIDS affected children, build an environment friendly to this group of children, and work out measures to eliminate discrimination against them. Ms. Hoa said: “Discrimination will hinder state policies on those children affected by HIV/AIDS. If the children’s families keep them away from association workers, the children won’t be able to take advantage of state incentives. Discrimination in the community will take away their chance to attend school.”
The Vietnam Association for the Protection of Children’s Rights plans to step up communications activities calling for greater social support for children affected by HIV/AIDS. It will establish “parents and HIV/AIDS affected children” clubs to let them share experience and help each other in daily life. The Association will also incorporate the national plan of action for children affected by HIV/AIDS into projects being carried out by its members nationwide.