Word AIDS Day – December 1st is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV and AIDS. According to UNAIDS, there are 38.6 million people living with HIV, including 2.3 million children, and during 2005 some 4.1 million people became newly infected with the virus. Around half of all people who become infected with HIV do so before they are 25 and are killed by AIDS before they are 35.
Around 95% of people with HIV/AIDS live in developing nations. But HIV today is a threat to men, women and children on all continents around the world. Started in 1988, World AIDS Day is not just about raising money, but also about increasing awareness, education and fighting prejudice. World AIDS Day is important in reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many things still to be done.
The Salvation Army’s approach
The Salvation Army prefers a holistic approach to HIV/AIDS because it is
not simply a medical issue, but one that affects families and society with
serious implications for global development.
Innovative programs have been developed by The Salvation Army throughout
the world and Canadians are taking a leading role.
Dr. Paul Thistle from Scarborough, Ontario is the Chief Medical Officer
at the Howard Hospital in Zimbabwe. At this Salvation Army facility, HIV
counseling, education and prevention are available, as well as support groups
and child sponsorship for AIDS orphans.
Major Dr. Dawn House is from Newfoundland and is the Chief Medical
officer at the Tshelanyemba Hospital in South Africa where the population can
benefit from the same types of programs that are run at the Howard Hospital.
This past year, Max Vincent, a member of The Salvation Army and a hearing resource teacher in British Columbia, lived in Zimbabwe, Africa, for six months, volunteering in a small rural community in the southern part of the country called Tshelanyemba. This area is very poor and often suffers from prolonged droughts, making it very difficult to grow crops. The area is also overwhelmed by the effects of AIDS/HIV resulting in thousands of orphans.
Many people from across Canada assisted financially in projects in Tshelanyemba with the primary focus on education. They continue to support 351 orphans by paying for their school fees for a year, which range from $40- $60.
The bottom line is that the UN and The Salvation Army are both saying the same thing: People matter.