Intermate supports Unicef work

During 2007 Intermate will support the global Unicef campaign against hiv/aids with special focus on children. This Unicef campaign is only one year old and with our support we help Unicef reach their goal before 2010.

Why children and AIDS?

AIDS is threatening children as never before. Children under 15 account for 1 in 6 global AIDS-related deaths and 1 in 7 new global HIV infections. A child under 15 dies of an AIDS-related illness every minute of every day, and a young person aged 15–24 contracts HIV every 15 seconds.

AIDS has left virtually no country, rich or poor, untouched. In the 54 countries where adult HIV prevalence has reached more than 1 per cent in the general population, HIV/AIDS is directly affecting millions of children, adolescents and young people. In the hardest-hit countries, health systems are increasingly losing their capacity to treat and care for children and their families. Schools are becoming dysfunctional, losing their teachers due to illness and death. Farmers, men and women, are becoming too sick to farm.

Affected families are selling their assets, spending increasing amounts on health care while becoming poorer. Even children who are spared a family bereavement often lose their teachers and classmates, their neighbours and role models to HIV/AIDS.