The Greatest Killer of Our Time Can (and Must) Be Stopped

The statistics are numbing. The problem is daunting. But there is a glimmer of hope.
Every day, 6,000 children are orphaned by AIDS, and 14,000 people are infected with the virus -- threatening many more children with the same fate. Already, nearly 30 million people -- equivalent to one tenth of the U.S. population -- have died in a pandemic that has been called "the greatest humanitarian crisis in history."

While AIDS is becoming a chronic, manageable disease in the United States, it’s a death sentence in poor countries where the cost of anti-retroviral medicines is beyond the reach of most AIDS patients. The United States, World Health Organization and others are committed to getting medicines to millions of the world’s poor. It’s not quick enough; every 14 seconds, another child loses a parent.

While one of every 15 Africans is infected with HIV, health officials predict that over the course of the next five years, the focus will shift to Asia, specifically China and India -- the world’s most populous countries. Without significant intervention, the number of people infected in these countries could surpass 150 million. The loss of so many lives in nations serving as significant global trading partners could become an economic crisis for the United States.

“The problem is far bigger than the ability of any one nation or organization to respond,” says Richard E. Stearns, president of World Vision, a Christian relief and development organization. “And there is no single solution. The crisis is simply too widespread and complex.”

But the situation is not hopeless. Countries like Uganda and Thailand have demonstrated that AIDS rates can be reduced through effective prevention programs. Donors large and small are supporting these prevention efforts, as well as care for the sick, the dying and the children they leave behind.

“Everyone -- regardless of age or income -- can help stop the spread of AIDS,” Stearns says.

With programs in nearly 100 countries, World Vision has been fighting the disease since 1990, when it began helping orphans in Rakai, Uganda. Nearly 15 years later, the organization, through its Hope Initiative, is mobilizing the Christian community and the general public to turn the tide and help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS around the world.

World AIDS Day -- Dec. 1 -- is a good starting point for education and action. Across the United States, schools, churches, community organizations as well as individuals and families already are involved. Some important ways to become involved (and Web resources to help) are:

* Write your senator, member of Congress and the White House asking that 10 percent of our global AIDS funding be set aside to care for children affected by AIDS. (www.seekjustice.org)

* Write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper encouraging readers to learn more about what AIDS is doing to children, families and communities around the world, and how they can help turn the tide against HIV/AIDS. (www.onecampaign.org)

* Encourage your church or faith community to make AIDS a priority within its missions/outreach programs. (www.bread.org)

* Partner with a frontline ministry or organization to fund a project that addresses needs in an AIDS-affected area. These can range from direct assistance such as care for orphans or medical support to broader projects such as water and food development. (www.InterAction.org)

* Be a voice of compassion for AIDS-related issues. Advocacy can include raising money for a local AIDS hospice or clinic; providing space for HIV-positive support group meetings; writing government officials about AIDS policy; or volunteering with organizations that provide awareness and care.

* Help a child left orphaned or vulnerable by AIDS through child sponsorship. For example, through World Vision a Hope Child sponsor provides for care such as clean water, regular meals, shelter, educational opportunities and emotional, physical and spiritual care. (www.worldvision.org)

"HIV/AIDS is the greatest killer of our time, leaving more orphans and widows than any other disease or epidemic in history,” says Stearns. “For the world to overcome this devastating virus, everyone must become part of the solution. This pandemic is wrecking havoc one person at a time. It can be stopped by one person at a time.”