Today is the day.

This is my second year posting information on World AIDS Orphans Day, and although I put the word out earlier in hopes that community leaders would be encouraged to join in on events, today is the special day set aside in efforts to draw attention to the plight of millions of the world's children who have lost parents to AIDS.

At last count there were fifteen million children who had lost one or both parents to AIDS. In the countries most devastatingly affected this is 15% to 20% of the total number of children.

It is expected that by 2010 there will be at least 100 million.

The latest available statistics tell us that in 2005 there were 2,300,000 children under the age of fifteen themselves infected with the virus.

In many countries, HIV/AIDS rates are already so high that the realization that an even larger percentage of the population will most certainly be infected over the next couple of years is too horrifying to contemplate. In Swaziland for example, more than 33% of the people between the ages of 15 and 49 carry the virus ... one-third of the total population of the country.

As one could expect, the life expectancy in Swaziland in the lowest on the planet, only a bit over 33 years. With this being the reality and getting worse by the year, the country not only has no hope for a better future, it has no future at all. In a very short period of time, everyone could be dead.

Six years ago, the UN held a Special Session of the General Assembly on HIV/AIDS where member states made commitments ... lots of commitments ... to take care of AIDS orphans in their countries.

Here are a few bits from the "Declaration of Commitments":

By 2003, develop, and by 2005 implement national policies and strategies to: build and strengthen governmental, family and community capacities to provide a supportive environment for orphans and girls and boys infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, including providing appropriate counseling and psycho-social support ; ensuring their enrolment in school and access to shelter, good nutrition, health and social services on an equal basis with other children; to protect orphans and vulnerable children from all forms of abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination, trafficking and loss of inheritance;

Ensure non-discrimination and full and equal enjoyment of all human rights through the promotion of an active and visible policy of de-stigmatization of children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS;

Urge the international community, particularly donor countries, civil society, as well as the private sector to complement effectively national programs to support programs for children orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS in affected regions, in countries at high risk and to direct special assistance to sub-Saharan Africa. ”

Any guesses as to how many ... or how few ... of these "commitments" have been kept?

Yes, in some countries antiretrovirals are becoming more available and education and prevention campaigns have been well funded, but certainly not across the board, and even with the steps that have actually been taken .. as opposed to only giving an impression of having been taken ... the numbers of the infected have grown and grown and grown.

I'll write about this again on May 7 next year. I would like to say that I have hope that things will be very different for a shrinking number of AIDS orphans by then. I can't.

In the meantime, however, I added my voice to the May 7 World AIDS Orphans Day call for signatures and encourage others to add theirs, as well.

For much more on AIDS orphans and adoption, please see Erin's Transracial Adoption Blog posts on the topic. Mary's Ethiopia Adoption Blog also has valuable information, as well as does Holly on the Africa Adoption Blog.