World AIDS Day

Today, December 1st, is the 20th annual World AIDS Day - a day dedicated to increasing awareness, raising funds, fighting prejudice, and improving education surrounding HIV/AIDS. It's unbelievable how many of our brothers and sisters around the world are struggling from this illness and its effects.

• In the past 27 years since the AIDS pandemic began, 25 million people have died from AIDS
  
• Today nearly 33 million people world-wide have HIV, including 2.5 million children
• About 95% of HIV/AIDS sufferers live in developing nations
• Last year women accounted for 50% of all adults living with HIV
• People under 25 account for half of new HIV infections each year
• Africa has 11.6 million AIDS orphans
• Since the beginning of the pandemic, a half-million people in the US have died from AIDS (that's equivalent the entire population of Las Vegas); currently more than a million people in America are living with HIV, a fifth of whom are unaware of their infection

But there's hope! In my work with our Diocesan Partnership with Homa Bay, Kenya, as well as some of my other mission experiences, I've learned a lot about the many issues that surround HIV/AIDS in our world. Most importantly, though, I learned some of the names and faces of those beautiful people who too often get lumped into the statistics without our taking the time to see their identity and dignity beyond the illness. And through knowing them and their stories, I've also learned a lot about what antiretroviral medications and good nutrition and prevention programs are doing around the world, not to mention what the power of prayer, solidarity and support can do in bringing hope to our world.

I encourage everyone to drop whatever stereotypes you may have surrounding HIV/AIDS, and support the fight against it in whatever way you're able!