A global pandemic

There is a lot of talk about the swine flu “pandemic” these days, but did you know that there is a global pandemic that is much more deadly and widespread? This pandemic is the greatest medical, social, and economic challenge the world as a whole now faces. I’m talking, of course, about AIDS. There are 33 million people living with HIV or AIDS in the world. That’s nearly the population of Canada! And about two-thirds of those people live in sub-Saharan Africa—many of them children.  Consider these heartbreaking statistics.

• In 2008, more than 2.5 million people were newly infected with HIV. Two-thirds of those new infections were in Africa.
• More than 28 million people have already died of AIDS.

AIDS and children

• Sadly, those most affected by HIV and AIDS are the children. For instance:
• A generation—more than 15 million—has been orphaned (lost one or both parents) by AIDS.
• Every day, another 6,000 children are orphaned due to AIDS.
• By 2010, the number of children orphaned by AIDS will be more than 20 million, according to United Nations estimates. Among those will be a staggering 10 million in sub-Saharan Africa who have lost both parents.
• Children whose mothers are HIV-positive become infected during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Two million children in sub-Saharan Africa were living with HIV at the end of 2007, and the number continues to rise.
• Children are suffering the loss of parents, teachers, community members, and peers as a result of the pandemic. The tragic loss of key adults who once provided stability and protection has resulted in a rapid increase of children who are malnourished, forced to drop out of school, and exploited for cheap labor.

AIDS in Africa—where Kids Caring 4 Kids has a key focus!

• Sub-Saharan Africa, home to just 12 percent of the world’s population, accounts for two out of every three people living with HIV, and 80 percent of AIDS-related deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa.
• The number of children orphaned by AIDS in Africa—already 12 million—is growing five times faster than the total number of children on the continent.
• Women and girls are particularly susceptible to the virus. Bound by cultural traditions that afford them a lower social standing than men, they often cannot control the sexual behavior of their husbands. Also, poverty drives many women to seek income as sex workers.
• The absence of adequate medical care in many regions of Africa means that people get sick and die much sooner there than they do in other countries where people have ready access to antiretroviral drugs.
• Since most people infected with HIV and AIDS are between the ages of 15 and 47, Africa’s economy is suffering as much of the work force becomes too ill to work. The continent’s economic growth and development is stunted, as is its ability to cope with the epidemic.