Orphans most at risk from HIV

An increasing number of children are being orphaned by HIV/Aids, according to Mozambique's first lady.

Maria da Luz Guebuza told Irin News there had been a marked rise in the number of youngsters losing parents to the virus.

These girls were forced to leave education early to care for the remaining members of their families with others pushed into the sex trade.

Some girls accept inappropriate marriage proposals in order to survive, the news portal reported.

More than a quarter of orphaned children in Mozambique are believed to have lost their parents to HIV/Aids.

Unicef forecasted the figure would almost double over the next two years to 650,000.

Some orphans have been abused by foster families, a study by Save the Children said.

According to the World Health Organization, Mozambique is also facing a critical shortage of health workers with fewer than 900 doctors and around 4,300 nurses for a population of 20 million people.

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