Defining orphaned and vulnerable children.

The importance of considering the situation of children orphaned by AIDS has been made clear – both by the projections of the number of orphans expected and the lack of adequate caring mechanisms and service structures to support them. However looking at the situation of these orphans does not address the full scale of the problem since the epidemic and surrounding poverty are generating a context where large numbers of children are becoming vulnerable. The term ‘orphaned and vulnerable children’ (OVC) was introduced due to the limited usefulness of the tight definition of the construct of orphanhood in the scenario of HIV/AIDS. This term in turn has its own difficulties since it is has no implicit definition or clear statement of inclusion and exclusion. It therefore works as a theoretical construct but requires explanation and definition on the ground. (excerpt)