By Alicia Singh
While it seems like an oxymoron, there is good news about HIV and AIDS.
According to a new report from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), considerable progress has been made in many countries working to address their national epidemics.
The 2008 Report on the global AIDS epidemic, states “the global percentage of people living with HIV has stabilized since 2000.” Adding to that, a substantial increase in financing for HIV programs is beginning to show results as lower numbers of AIDS deaths and new infections emerge.
World Vision’s Approach
World Vision works on HIV and AIDS in Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. However, most of the organization’s work focuses on 21 African countries with the highest prevalence of HIV and AIDS and in areas that have high levels of children orphaned by AIDS.
One of the organization’s most effective projects is in Voi, Kenya, where World Vision Canada funds a prevention of mother-to-child transmission program. The program encourages expectant mothers to get tested for HIV and AIDS and teaches them how testing and treatment can save their lives and prevent their children from becoming infected.
The program has been very successful. “Among all of our clients at this hospital, no child has tested positive for HIV,” says Violet Nkamburi, nurse-in-charge of Kenya’s Moi Hospital.
World Vision Canada has also worked diligently to prevent new infections by promoting life skills training for young people from five to 24 years old. This training has led to changes in behaviour, including increased condom use, delayed first sexual contact and increased counseling and testing.
According to the UNAIDS report, in low- and middle-income countries, the percentage of young people having sex before age 15 is declining in all regions—proof that life-skills training has been effective.
Still More to be Done
In spite of this encouraging news, there is still much work that can be done in the fight against HIV and AIDS. The key is preventing new infections, says UNAIDS.
“We shouldn’t relent,” says Timothy Mbugua, HIV & AIDS Policy Analyst for World Vision Canada. “Even though we have over 3 million people on treatment, that is only about one-third of the people in need.”
Tangible headway has been made in preventing mother-to-child transmissions and recognizing gender issues, but children and women continue to be disproportionately affected by AIDS.
Furthermore, if the Millennium Development Goal target to reverse the epidemic by 2015 is to be met, continuous global support—including funding from Canada— is needed.
“If the resources are in place then we can continue to achieve progress and achieve better results,” says Mbugua.
