About the Global

AIDS Crisis
The Issue
HIV infects some people, AIDS affects everybody. Essentially, HIV and AIDS threaten the
quality of life, economic progress, and social structure of entire communities and countries.
AIDS is leaving a generation of orphans and vulnerable children whose daily lives and futures are
at risk. In many parts of the world, the disease is actually reversing years of progress made on
community development projects.

Women and girls carry the greatest responsibility of caring for people who are suffering from
HIV and AIDS. Females are getting infected with HIV at an earlier age and are dying younger
than males.

AIDS is a disease that come draped in stigma and fear. It can be a difficult topic to discuss because
of biases and stereotypes that surface when someone is said to be HIV-positive or to have AIDS.
In many parts of the world, the means by which HIV is transmitted or treated is not always
clearly understood. Afraid of being stigmatized and victimized, people may avoid testing—
a key first step in dealing proactively with HIV and AIDS. Education and awareness-raising
programs are integral to preventing the transmission of HIV and helping people to live with
dignity and strength.

The Facts
HIV anD AIDS Explained »
AIDS represenTS the biggest crisis the world has ever seen. It is killing more people than
any war or famine in history. By 2010, AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa will orphan an estimated
15.7 million children; globally, 20.2 million children will be so orphaned. AIDS destabilizes
families and entire societies, leaving children without the care and support necessary to grow
up healthy and thrive.

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 » Since the epidemic began, about 60 million people have contracted AIDS or HIV; a third of
them have died, leaving behind millions of grieving family members.
» Currently, 33 million people are living with HIV or AIDS, and an estimated2 million of these
people are children.
» 15 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents to AIDS; that number is
expected to reach 25 million by the year 2010.
» Every day nearly 7,400 people become infected with HIV and more than 5,400 people die
from AIDS.
» 2 million adults and children died as a result of AIDS.
» In 2007, 2.5 million people were newly infected with the virus.
» By 2010, more than 20 million children will be orphaned because of AIDS.

H I V s ta n d s f or “ hum a n i mmuno defic iency vi rus.” AIDS stands for

“acquired immune deficiency syndrome.” Someone who contracts the HIV virus is said to
be “HIV-positive.” HIV is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system so that it can’t fight
off illnesses and infections. As the disease progresses, a person with HIV contracts secondary
infections such as tuberculosis or pneumonia, and develops full-blown AIDS. This process usually
happens within eight to 10 years. However, some people become sick very rapidly and others can
remain healthy for many years. The onset can vary according to a person’s age, whether they have
access to proper health care, and other factors. Without treatment, a person with HIV or AIDS will
suffer from infections, sometimes for months or years, before eventually dying from them.

POVERTY »
H I V a n d A I DS have a profound and systemic effect on household income and sustainability.
AIDS pushes people deeper into poverty, and households lose their breadwinners. Livelihoods are
compromised, and savings are consumed by the cost of health care and funerals. The process of
passing on knowledge and expertise—in land preparation, crop cultivation, handicrafts, cultural
beliefs, and traditions—to the next generation is undermined.

PEACE »
Th e Un it e d Nati ons S ecur ity Counc il has highlighted HIV and AIDS as threats
to global peace and security. High infection rates create conditions in which famine, repression, or
violent conflict and war occur more easily. In turn, these conditions accelerate the spread of HIV.

INSTITUTIONS »
A I DS a l s o has a sign ifica nt effect on institutions such as schools, universities,
and health-care services. When trained professionals die, the capacity of these institutions is
disrupted and the difficulties in meeting the needs of an HIV- and AIDS-affected population are
compounded.

FOOD SECURITY »
F o o d s e c u ri ty is also cons ider ably a ffecte d, particularly in countries where
the majority of the population is engaged in agriculture. Because HIV and AIDS affect the most
productive group of people, they threaten not only the food security of households but also the
long-term capacity of communities and nations to produce food and secure their livelihood. Lack
of food also decreases the resistance of men, women, and children to opportunistic infection and,
therefore, accelerates the onset of the disease.

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WOMEN »
I n additi o n , gender inequality is a major driving force behind the AIDS pandemic. Women
are biologically more at risk of HIV infection than men and carry the biggest burden of caring for
the sick and dying. Women have lower incomes, status, and education levels; limited legal rights;
and less access to resources such as social and health-care services. Social traditions and economic
factors also limit women’s ability to express their wishes regarding choice of sexual partners and
safer sex practices. There is growing evidence that a large share of new HIV infections is due to
gender-based violence in homes, schools, the work force, and other social institutions.

AIDS has orphaned millions of children. The number of child-headed households is increasing as
a result. Children orphaned by AIDS are at risk of malnutrition, illness, abuse, child labor, and
sexual exploitation, and these factors, in turn, increase their vulnerability to HIV infection. They
also suffer the stigma and discrimination often associated with HIV and AIDS and may be denied
education, work, housing, and other basic needs as a result.

Girls are particularly affected because they are more likely to drop out of school to care for
parents infected with HIV, for their younger siblings, or for other family members. Orphans also
leave school because of discrimination, emotional distress, inability to pay school fees, or the need
to seek work to survive.

Young people are the most vulnerable group because they often lack the knowledge or skills to
practice safe sex. Studies from around the world have established that the vast majority of young
people have no idea how HIV is transmitted, nor do they know how to protect themselves from
the disease.

GEOGRAPHY »
Th e a r e a in the worl d that is most affected by HIV and AIDS is also one of the poorest
regions in the world—sub-Saharan Africa, where about 22 million people are infected.

HIV is also spreading rapidly in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, with about 5 million people
now infected. About 4.2 million people in Asia are infected, including 1.1 million people who
were infected in 2005 alone. Approximately 2 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean
are infected.

TREATMENT »
Th e r e a r e n o cures for AID S , but it can be treated and prevented. People with the
disease can take drugs called antiretroviral (ARVs). These slow the progression of the disease and
keep people healthy for much longer. People can live up to 20 years or more with the disease if
ARVs and good nutrition are available.

Because HIV and AIDS cause people to get secondary infections, such as tuberculosis and skin
diseases, they also need treatment for these infections. Yet 5 million to 6 million people in
developing countries urgently need antiretroviral treatment. About 15 percent have access to it.
Prevention and education programs together with treatment are the best approach to tackle the
rapid spread of this killer disease.

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(Sources: UNICEF, August 2006; International Labor Organization, November 2006; AIDS Epidemic
Update, UNAIDS, December 2006; Africa’s Orphaned and Vulnerable Generations, UNICEF, August
2006; AIDS Epidemic Update, UNAIDS, December 2007; AIDS Epidemic Update, UNAIDS,
December 2006. UNAIDS Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic, 2008.)

What You Can Do

» Speak out for AIDS-affected children. Urge Congress to continue and increase the U.S.
contribution to the global HIV and AIDS battle and ensure that AIDS-affected children are not
forgotten.

» Visit the “World Vision Experience: AIDS” in a city near you. For more information go to
www.worldvisionresources.com and click on “programs and events” for more information.

» Sponsor a HopeChild in an AIDS-affected nation. For sponsorship information go to

www.worldvisionresources.com.

» With the support of World Vision, Christian college students have formed a network of
chapters which seek to change hearts on campus, create awareness in communities, and
advocate for those impacted by the global AIDS pandemic. For more information go to
www.worldvisionresources.com and click on “programs and events” for more information.

» World Vision distributes Caregiver Kits to family members and local volunteers in Africa, Asia
and Latin America who are caring for those living with AIDS. These kits supply the materials
needed to safely and effectively prolong lives and relieve suffering. You, your family and friends can
assemble Caregiver Kits as a hands-on way of showing God’s unconditional love and encouraging
these selfless, courageous volunteers. For more information go to www.worldvisionresources.com
and click on “programs and events” for more information.

» Come together as a family, class, youth group, or business to support those made vulnerable
by AIDS. You can use World Vision’s Group Giving Kit to raise money for items from our Gift
Catalog. Your gifts will help provide things like caregiver training, education, food, shelter, HIV-
prevention, care for widows and orphans, and more.

Copyright © 2009 by World Vision Inc., Mail Stop 321, P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716, 253-
815-3320, wvresources@worldvision.org. All rights reserved.

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 About World Vision
W o r ld Vi s i o n i s a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organization dedicated to helping
children and their families break free from poverty. Our work is motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ. We see
a world where each child experiences “fullness of life” as described in John 10:10. And we know this can be
achieved only by addressing the problems of poverty and injustice in a holistic way. That’s how World Vision
is unique: We bring 60 years of experience in three key areas needed to help children and families thrive:
emergency relief, long-term development, and advocacy. And we bring all of our skills across many areas of
expertise to each community we work in, enabling us to care for children’s physical, social, emotional, and
spiritual well-being.

W o r ld Vi s i o n Re s o u r c e s educates Christians about global poverty, inspires them to social justice,

and equips them with innovative resources to make a difference in the world.

For more information about

our resources, contact:

World Vision Resources

www.worldvision.org
wvresources@worldvision.org

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