Examines the hazards faced by children living and working on the streets, with data from projects in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The projects in East Africa, which all focused on the health and well-being of children at risk, had been in operation for at least 3 years, employed a community-based approach, and had children actively involved in the program. Among the key findings based on interviews with project staff were that (1) health was equated with absence of disease; (2) the best way to prevent street children’s existing health problems was to get the children off the streets; (3) the number of girls living on the street was increasing, and it was much more difficult for them to return home; (4) both girls and boys were sexually exploited; (5) drug abuse was an unwavering part of street life and a major obstacle to social rehabilitation; (6) street children commonly experienced abuse and neglect at home before running away; and (7) working with street children was demanding work that requires qualified field staff with basic health education. A key recommendation is that health work should be carried out in a participatory way with the children.
