UNICEF Says There Is Worrying Spread of HIV Among Children in Latin America

At a regional HIV forum in San Salvador, UNICEF chief Miriam de Figueroa said the virus is spreading at an alarming rate among children in Latin America. "We forget that behind the numbers there are hidden faces, the faces of children," said de Figueroa. The meeting in El Salvador has brought together more than 3,000 presidents, doctors and police chiefs from across Latin America.

On Friday, UNICEF plans to launch a Children and AIDS campaign that seeks to help stop mother-to-child transmission, educate children about AIDS prevention, and give support to children affected by the disease, said de Figueroa. "We need to generate a movement that becomes a voice for the children of the world," she said. "United, we can fight against this terrible epidemic."

At the forum, a 10-year-old girl from Honduras spoke about the discrimination she faces as a person living with HIV. "This should change," said the girl. "We are human beings." Her mother said it was a struggle to get their local school to accept the girl as a student.

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