Millions of children affected by AIDS are dropping out of school in southern and East Africa, and government efforts to stop the exodus are few and ineffective, according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released Monday in Johannesburg.

In a survey of Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa, HRW documented that without the help of parents, many AIDS orphans drop out of school. The report also revealed the discrimination children face in accessing school if a family member has HIV/AIDS. While school enrollment rates are up significantly in the three nations, this has been of little benefit to AIDS orphans, the HRW report said.

"Children leave school to perform household labor or [grieve] their parent's death. Many cannot afford school fees because their parents are too sick to earn a living," the report said. "While some countries, such as Kenya and Uganda, have abolished primary school fees, schools repeatedly refuse admission to AIDS-affected children who cannot afford to pay for books, uniforms, and other school-related expenses."

HRW recommended that the three governments boost their support for community and foster-care organizations that deal with issues facing AIDS orphans. South Africa's foster system is too weak to handle the AIDS epidemic, aid agencies say, while Kenya and Uganda rely on charities to assist orphans.

"Governments bear the ultimate responsibility to protect children when their parents no longer can," said Jonathan Cohen, an HIV/AIDS program researcher for HRW. "Some children are double victims of AIDS -- first they lose their parents, and then they face a high risk of HIV infection after they drop out of school. Governments must make education a priority to break this vicious cycle."

More than 12 million AIDS orphans live in sub-Saharan Africa.

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