HIV-infection rates have levelled off in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, but the continent is still the epicentre of the global HIV pandemic. The region is home to only 10 per cent of the world's population, but accounts for 60 per cent of people living with HIV.

Women are disproportionately affected. Poverty and cultural issues leave women with little power to negotiate for safer sex. Young women, in particular, are three times more likely to be infected than young men.

HIV and AIDS also affect children, more so in Africa than in any other place on the globe. The latest UNAIDS report indicates 15 million children in Sub-Saharan Africa have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Children have to drop out of school to care for dying parents and younger siblings. Orphaned children are at greater risk of malnutrition, illness, and abuse that can increase their susceptibility to HIV infection.

Proper treatment can practically eliminate the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Unfortunately these treatments are rarely available to mothers in Africa. As a result, nearly two million children in Sub-Saharan Africa are infected. Only a fraction of these children have access to basic support services, let alone the treatments that could prolong their lives.

World Vision is There
Every day, World Vision caregiver Luisa Miguel Sousa visits families affected by AIDS in Mozambique. Luisa checks in on sick parents and orphans, provides counselling, and helps around the house. In the last year, caregivers like Luisa visited more than 350,000 children in Africa.

World Vision educates more than 375,000 children in Africa about AIDS and HIV prevention. Staff members encourage children to educate their peers and adults. Eric Matovu, 11, is one of thousands of active Peer Educators who talk to family, friends, and community members about the virus and how to prevent the spread of HIV.

Through small loan programs , World Vision helps AIDS-affected women provide for their families. World Vision staff members also teach women about inheritance laws and wills to help provide a more secure future for their children.

As well, World Vision is involved with lobbying efforts to ensure more equitable access to antiretroviral treatments and other drugs that treat the illnesses associated with AIDS, especially for children.