The Truth about HIV/AIDS

Everyone’s heard of HIV/AIDS, but the latest statistics are truly appalling. For instance, did you know that…?

• More than 85 million people have been infected with HIV world-wide since the disease began. Tens of millions have died.
• By the end of 2003, an estimated 43 million adults and children worldwide were currently living with HIV/AIDS.
• During 2003 alone, an estimated 4.2 – 5.8 million adults and children were newly infected with HIV.
• AIDS is spreading through Europe faster than anywhere else in the world. Almost 2.5 million people on the Continent are now living with HIV/AIDS.
• According to the World Health Organisation, Eastern Europe saw 370,000 new cases last year, and Western Europe saw 365,000 new cases.
• In the UK , new HIV cases has risen by 20 per cent in only a year. About 6,400 Britons now have the virus.
• 2,800 people die of AIDS every eight hours of every day.
• So far 14 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents to AIDS.
• Each year, 3 million more children worldwide will lose one or both parents to AIDS.
• 1,800 babies are infected every day.

So – remind me of what HIV/AIDS is, exactly?

•  HIV stands for: Human Imunodeficiency Virus

•  AIDS stands for: Acquired Imuno Deficiency Syndrome

And how do people catch it? 94% of HIV transmission is through sexual relations
Of these:

•  79% of transmission is through heterosexual contact

•  15% of transmission is through homosexual and bisexual relations

Why do infections arise?
Because the body cannot defend itself from viruses, bacterias, parasites, fungus. The HIV virus cannot be seen with the human eye. It
can’t reproduce on its own, as it requires human cells to reproduce. And – fortunately! - it is unable to live in the environment – it only lasts an hour or so outside the body. But inside the body, the virus is dynamite. Put simply, it enters the blood stream, invades the cells, changes the genetic code, multiplies itself, and goes on to destroy the cells of the body.

There is an extra challenge surrounding the HIV/AIDS crisis: ignorance.
Most people worldwide don’t really understand how the disease is transmitted. There is stigma and hatred around the whole subject of
HIV/AIDS.
Which means, not surprisingly, many people are afraid to talk about it. But if we don’t, tens of millions more of us will die! Which is why Samaritan’s Purse has become involved in fighting the spread of this
disease. In the following pages we tell you just a bit about our work with various organisations and programmes worldwide.

>What is Samaritan's Purses involvement ?

>How is Samaritan's Purse helping fight HIV/AIDS in Russia?

>Donate online now

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