|PIC1|The international Christian agency World Vision has called on the funders of major HIV and AIDS programmes to increase the proportion of the funds to be dedicated to services for children.

The aid agency also called on recipient nations to play their part in boosting the care of child AIDS victims by earmarking 12 per cent of programme funding specifically for services for children.

The call came prior to the start of the XVI International AIDS Conference currently taking place in Toronto, Canada.

World Vision invited delegates and participants at the conference to add an orange fingerprint next to their signatures on an open letter calling for more dedicated HIV/AIDS funding for children.

The fingerprints and signatures will be delivered to each of the G8 leaders and to the board of the Global Fund.|TOP|

Delegates from the UK, including representatives of the Church of Scotland, will be in Toronto this week to take part in the conference, alongside 30,000 participants from around the world.

The conference delegates will have the chance to find out about the latest research into HIV and AIDS and effective countermeasures, as well as join in discussions on the progress and challenges in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

"We have nearly 10,000 World Vision staff working every day on the frontline in the fight against AIDS," says World Vision UK Director of Advocacy Rudo Kwaramba.

"Our ability to learn from this conference and to share our knowledge can make a life or death difference for thousands."|AD|

The World Vision delegation at the conference brings together representatives from more than 20 countries, including Zambia, Russia, Honduras, Uganda, Kenya, Armenia, India and Singapore.

A number of key studies will also take place at the conference on core programmes for orphans and vulnerable children, prevention programmes for youth, income generation as part of the AIDS response, strategies to lower the prevalence of contradiction in young girls and the role of the church in abolishing stigma and prejudice.

Photos which highlight the untold stories of children caught up in the fight against HIV/AIDS were also taken in Russia, Mozambique and India by highly-acclaimed photojournalist Nick Danziger. The photos will be exhibited at the conference.

Rudo Kwaramba says "These photos are a powerful reminder that children are often the most vulnerable to the effects of HIV/AIDS. We're calling on world leaders to prioritise children in their response. This conference can make a big difference to the campaign against HIV/AIDS and the devastation it can bring."