Twenty Moroccan children are AIDS infected

The number of AIDS infected persons in Morocco stands at 804, including 20 children.

The figures were disclosed in Rabat Friday evening by vice-chairwoman of the National Observatory of Children's Rights, Ms Tazi Malki at a dinner-debate on the upcoming world summit on children.

Four out of the 20 aids children/patients were infected following sexual abuse, Ms Malki said, calling to foster the civil society awareness to this issue to put an end to the ill treatment of children.

She called for the involvement of all the components of the civil society in the defense of children and for the setting up of mechanisms guaranteeing the social integration of homeless children.

After she stressed the need to adapt the Moroccan legislation to the spirit of relevant international conventions, Ms Malki called for banning all forms of child labor that threaten children's health and security.

The dinner-debate, organized by the association of MAP's journalists (AJMAP), was attended by several personalities including advisor to the king, Zoulikha Nasri, and minister of human rights, Mohamed Aujjar.