Statistics about AIDS orphans The issue of AIDS orphans, according to the World Bank and other global agencies, is one of the largest impacts of the pandemic. 13 million children have lost their mother or both parents to AIDS, 10.4 million of whom are under age 15. Many of the orphans alive today may die of AIDS. Projections indicate that in 2010, 79-94% of orphans (of any kind) will be the result of AIDS mortality. Orphans are among society's most vulnerable children. They suffer the trauma of seeing their parents die, and have been orphaned several times over as they witness the death of caretakers that have replaced their parents. A study in Cote d'Ivoire showed that when a family member had AIDS, family income fell by 52-67 percent and food consumption dropped by 41 percent, while in Zambia the epidemic contributed to a doubling of street children.