Aids has emerged as the greatest threat to the young. Every minute a child dies of an Aids-related illness around the world. According to UN statistics, over 15 million children have lost at least one parent to Aids. The Unicef fears 18 million children will have lost their parents to Aids by 2010 in sub-Saharan Africa alone.

Millions of children today are battling with Aids but only a small fraction of the billions of dollars — $6.1 billion in 2004 — dedicated to fighting the disease actually goes to help them. While HIV/Aids affects millions of children all over the world, Africa accounts for more than 85 per cent of children under 15 living with Aids.

These are most alarming statistics and demand serious attention and action by the world community. This is not something that will remain confined to the poor, wretched countries in Africa and Asia. In a globalised world, nothing especially deadly diseases like Aids can be contained within geographical boundaries. The threat is universal and demands universal and united response from the international community.

The five-year long UN campaign, Unite for Children, Unite Against Aids, aimed at providing treatment, protection and support for Aid-affected kids, should be backed by effective action and resources by both the developed and developing world. It’s really hard to believe that in spite of the worldwide campaign against Aids over the past two decades and pious commitments by world leaders, as many as 95 per cent of the Aids-hit children do not get any medical treatment. Either the world is spending too little to eliminate the disease or its methods against the killer are just not working. Where have all those precious resources committed to the Aids war gone if they haven’t been spent on fighting the disease?

We need to find answers to these questions if we have to deal effectively with the deadly epidemic. The UN, which leads the global drive against Aids, may have to re-examine and possibly rework its approach and methods to deal with the threat. But the world body can do little, if it is not adequately supported by the international community, particularly its richer members. The world just cannot afford to lose the war on Aids.