II. RECOMMENDATIONS

To the Government of Kenya
· The national medium-term plan for HIV/AIDS and other strategic policy development and implementation on HIV/AIDS in Kenya should include a comprehensive plan for protection of children affected by AIDS with a well defined plan of action and budget.

· The government should as a matter of urgency ratify ILO Convention No. 182 on the elimination of the worst forms of child labor and establish mechanisms for monitoring and addressing child labor problems.

· The government should work with donors and nongovernmental organizations to develop and implement a system of providing legal assistance for children in property disputes or to modify property dispute resolution procedures so that reliance on legal assistance is less necessary. The Children Bill 2001 should reflect these changes.

· The Children's Department should ensure that all children's officers, including paid staff and volunteers, are trained on the situation of HIV/AIDS-affected children, including the range of abuses of which they are at highest risk and inheritance issues.

· The Ministry of Education should accelerate the training of teachers on the use of the HIV/AIDS curriculum to ensure its full implementation in all schools by January 2002 and ensure continued support for the use and evaluation of the curriculum.

· The National AIDS Control Council should identify the relevant ministries and non-governmental entities to spearhead an urgent effort to provide appropriate information on HIV/AIDS to school-aged children who are out of school. The Kenya Broadcasting Company and other government-run radio and television stations with significant reach in the country should be used optimally to provide appropriate and clear information on HIV transmission and AIDS treatment and care.

· President Moi and other leaders of the government of Kenya should contribute to breaking the silence and stigma of HIV/AIDS by speaking out frequently on public occasions to encourage nondiscrimination against persons affected by HIV/AIDS and their families as well as greater utilization of AIDS-related services.

· The National AIDS Control Council should make recommendations to the government for improved monitoring and inspection of orphanages and other group homes for children, particularly with regard to protecting AIDS-affected children from discrimination, mandatory testing, and abuse.
· The government should take measures to realize its stated commitment to ensure free primary education for all children in Kenya on a non-discriminatory basis.

· The president of Kenya should approve the final version of the recently passed Industrial Property Act, and the government should ensure follow-up action to increase access of persons with AIDS to treatment for both AIDS and opportunistic infections.

To International Donors Supporting the Government of Kenya
· Give high priority to supporting the government's efforts to ensure that AIDS-affected children are protected from abuse, neglect, disinheritance, hazardous labor, and premature withdrawal from school.

· Consider increased allocations earmarked to the Children's Department so that the number of paid children's officers (and not just volunteers) can be increased to reflect the increasing numbers of children in need of special protection.

· In international donor consultations, ensure that the needs of AIDS-affected children are given high priority in resource allocation and policy and program development.

To the United Nations
· Ensure that the policies and programs to protect AIDS-affected children receive high-priority support through the global fund for HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis and other mechanisms. Ensure wider availability of program and policy guidelines and sharing of best practices with respect to AIDS-affected children.