A MAJOR international report released this week forecasts a grim global orphan crisis that is set to get much worse as more and more adults with children die from AIDS, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

The report, Children On The Brink, states that no other infectious disease has had such a devastating impact on the world's youngest and most vulnerable citizens as HIV-AIDS.

It was released at the XIV International AIDS Conference in Barcelona, Spain.

The report finds that more than 13,4 million children have lost one or both parents to the epidemic in the three regions studied, a number that will increase to 25 million by 2010. In addition to the millions of children orphaned by AIDS, millions more are being adversely affected by the disease.

Data provided in the report indicates that Namibia had 56 000 orphans in 1990, increasing to 61 000 in 1995.

Last year the number of Namibian orphans stood at 97 000 with 47 000 estimated to be caused by HIV-AIDS.

By 2005, the report predicts, there will be 134 000 orphans in Namibia of whom 90 000 will be orphans due to AIDS and in 2010 the number of orphans could reach 156 000 with 118 000 of them a direct result of AIDS.

According to the report, the impact of AIDS will be felt even more acutely in countries like Namibia with smaller populations, but higher HIV prevalence rates.

"Number of orphans will continue to rise. Today's prevalence rates will largely determine the pattern of orphaning for the next decade. In countries where HIV-AIDS prevalence has recently escalated, the full impact on the estimated number of orphans has yet to emerge," it warns.

The new publication also discusses the devastating impact AIDS has had on children, families and communities, and the need for a co-ordinated response to address this.

"HIV-AIDS has created an orphans crisis," said Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS. "This unprecedented crisis will require radically scaled-up national, regional and community responses in the decades to come."

Children on the Brink also discusses five key strategies to assist children affected by AIDS, and urges that responses not overlook other children impacted by the epidemic.