Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)
2 December 2008
Nairobi — Churches in Africa have called for more efforts to fight the HIV/Aids pandemic in a continent that is the world's worst-hit region.
In a message to mark the 20th World Aids Day on Monday, All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) urged churches to be in the forefront, playing the vital role of awareness creation on protection against HIV/Aids.
"Urging people to know their status is the number one strategy in combating the pandemic as it helps them know the right way to deal with their status, whether positive or negative, since even those already infected still need to protect themselves," the statement said.
This year's special focus is on children who get infected through mother-to-child transmission. According to UNICEF, nearly 2,000 infants are infected daily with HIV during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding - most of them in sub-Saharan Africa - and that everyday some 6,000 young people between the ages of 14 and 24 contract the virus. Currently, over 2 million children are infected with HIV and there are several hundred thousand children born HIV positive each year.
In spite of the alarming figures, only 9 percent of pregnant women living with HIV in the developing world are provided with drugs to prevent the virus being transmitted to their babies, AACC noted. As a result, nearly half a million children become infected with HIV every year.
"We add our voice to that of the 'Stop AIDS in Children' campaign that is calling on governments and international agencies to urgently improve PMTCT [prevention of mother to child transmission] coverage worldwide."
Over 33 million people are living with HIV/Aids globally. "AACC continues to encourage churches to work to overcome ignorance and prejudice surrounding HIV/Aids and help raise awareness by selling the symbolic red ribbons and any other activity or activities they deem appropriate to halt the spread of HIV."
The organization also urged pharmaceutical companies not to be driven by profit gains but to put human life first by making life-prolonging drugs affordable. "The latest drugs in the market are known to work miracles, have very little or no side effects and are giving hope to the infected. But much more needs to be done since only a small fraction of PLWHAS are on ARVs," AACC said.
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