BC Bookmarks

While the number of children orphaned due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic is depressingly large, the percentage of these living in Sub-Saharan Africa is downright staggering–anywhere from 85 to 90 percent. Historically, much of the research around orphans in Africa has been focused on treatment and prevention. But there is a glaring omission to the research story: defining vulnerability in African children orphaned due to HIV/AIDS and finding interventions to improve the welfare of these children.  The new book Children and AIDS (Ashgate Publishing Company, 2016), co-edited by School of Social Work Associate Professor Margaret Lombe, highlights collaborations of academics with service providers, with human rights groups and children themselves. The book looks at studies and interventions in Botswana, Zambia and Kenya. Lombe hopes that the book will be a useful resource for courses on vulnerability in children and human rights, challenging academics and students alike to question existing understandings of vulnerability, and inspire collaborations that build hope for the future of Africa’s children. Boston College alumna Chiedza Mufunde (MSW ’14) and doctoral student Aakanksha Sinha contributed chapters to the book. More from the blog Innovate@BCSocialWork.