Hundreds of thousands of children in India are living with HIV/AIDS. Many more children are otherwise seriously affected by India's burgeoning epidemic-when they are forced to withdraw from school to care for sick parents, are forced to work to replace their parents' income, or are orphaned (losing one or both parents to AIDS).

And main recommendations. -- Methods. -- Background: HIV/AIDS and access to education - Surveys of AIDS-affected children's school performance - Human rights - Note on Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda. -- Findings from Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda: Children as caregivers in the home - Children left on their own - Emotional burdens and AIDS-related stigma - Schools ill-equipped - Abuse and discrimination within extended and foster families - Girls' exposure to secual violence and exploitation - Abuses against parents and guardians that in turn harm children - Child-headed households - Orphaned and living with HIV/AIDS - Lack of support to community-based organizations. -- National and international responses. -- Conclusion. -- Detailed recommendations: To national, provincial, and local governments in Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda - To international agencies and donors to HIV/AIDS programs operating in Kenya, South, Africa, and Uganda, including the World Bank, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the United Nations, and bilateral donors - To the above mentioned governments and donors. -- Acknowledgements. -- Appendix: Human Rights Watch's work on HIV/AIDS and children's rights.

The central argument is that the theological motif of the image of God invites a prophetic critique of the social environment in which HIV/AIDS thrives and calls for a praxis of love and compassion.