DRC: Call for community mobilization in support of AIDS orphans

Kinshasa, May 7^th, 2026 (CPA).– A call for community mobilization in support of AIDS orphans was launched by a doctor during an interview on Thursday in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), on the occasion of World AIDS Orphans Day, celebrated every May 7^th.  “In the DRC, the impact of this May 7^th day serves as a lever for advocacy aimed at political visibility and community mobilization in favor of these children who notably suffer from stigmatization,” said Dr. Rodin Shindani, eco-epidemiologist physician. According to the doctor, this community mobilization also serves to remind people that these children not only bear the grief of losing their parents, but are also confronted with stigmatization, social exclusion and a huge lack of protection. “The emphasis is placed on strengthening community actions. This day also serves as budget advocacy because it calls on the State to allocate resources for the care of these children,” he specified. He pointed out that these children face social exclusion and school dropout. Hence, the community must be mobilized to ensure their access to education, healthcare, protection and a stable living environment. According to him, every 15 seconds, a child loses one of his or her parents due to HIV/AIDS somewhere in the world. Each year, the Ministry in charge of Public Health issues messages aimed at supporting these orphans. Protecting these children means protecting the future of the DRC because a nation that abandons its orphans abandons its own future generation. “The DRC, with its high HIV prevalence and conflicts, is one of the countries most affected by this problem. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness among the public and the government about the distress of children who have lost one or both parents due to HIV/AIDS,” he said. According to Dr. Shindani, in the DRC, only 2% of pregnant women had access to prevention of mother-to-child transmission in 2010, which caused 40,000 child infections per year, with many children becoming orphans, he added, noting that there is no recent official specific percentage for the DRC. The Ministry in charge of Health refers to thousands of AIDS orphans in the DRC out of a global total of more than 13 million children concerned worldwide, the majority in sub-Saharan Africa, where they face extreme vulnerability, including poverty, discrimination, school dropout and health risks. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), AIDS orphans are children under the age of 18 who have lost one or both parents due to HIV/AIDS.