ATHENS, Ohio -- AIDS and orphans, armed conflict and sexual violence, and AIDS prevention are among the topics at Ohio University's fourth annual Institute for the African Child April 11 to 13. This year's theme, HIV/AIDS and the African Child: Health Challenges, Educational Possibilities, brings speakers from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Swaziland, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Sweden and the United States to Athens.

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan won the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize for elevating HIV/AIDS to the top of the global agenda, but publicity and funding for the fight against AIDS has subsided in the wake of the events of Sept. 11.

There are 2.7 million children living with AIDS and 2.4 million of those live in sub-Saharan Africa, according to United Nations statistics. Some 2,000 children are newly infected with AIDS every day, according to the United Nations.

"The HIV/AIDS dilemma is devastating many countries in Africa and a productive generation of people is being destroyed," said Stephen Howard, director of African Studies at Ohio University's Center for International Studies. "The Institute for the African Child seeks to prevent children's issues from falling through the world political cracks. This conference will bring scholars and activists together to share strategies and information and remind Africa's children that we are deeply concerned."