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G. Children such as street children and AIDS orphans in need of special
protection, owing to their exposure to risks and vulnerability (Article 26)
1. Children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS
In 2005, the national AIDS control committee estimated the number of orphans and
vulnerable children at 1,144,565, while the number of AIDS orphans was 112,670. Care for
these children is high on the agenda of Government, which has initiated programmes and
projects for orphans and vulnerable children, with the cooperation of the international
community and civil society. One such project has been developed for 10,000 orphans and
vulnerable children with support from the French Cooperation, UNICEF, the Global Fund
to Fight Against HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Plan-Cameroon and Care-Cameroon for
medical and nutritional support for orphans and vulnerable children. The activities are
designed to:
Facilitate access by orphans and vulnerable children to basic social services
like education, healthcare and nutrition);
Foster the establishment of a legal system for protection;
Build the capacities of families and communities;
Implement an institutional framework on protection.
2. Street Children
Government action on care for street children covers two major areas:
Improving knowledge
Several studies conducted in Cameroon‟s major cities point to the growing problem
of street children. In 1999, there were an estimated 4,000 of them, and today, they
number 10,000, spread across the country.
The growing problem is manifest through the number of children encountered
among groups already formed since 1999.
The worst affected areas are the major cities, namely, Yaounde, Douala and
Ngaoundéré.
Break-up in the family or destabilization of the family circle are the major causes
identified by the study.
Two itineraries have are identified: