Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) – 12% of the institutions caring for people with HIV/AIDS are run by the Catholic Church and 13% of aid to persons suffering from HIV/AIDS is provided by Catholic NGOs. Through church run institutions and the work of church personnel and missionaries serving the sick, the Holy See is top of this list for providing assistance to HIV/AIDS patients. In Africa 70% of anti-AIDS projects are run, organised and funded by Christian organisations. In many countries of Africa Catholic instutions and personnel were the first to start providing assistance in the poorest suburb areas. Today one out of every four people suffering from HIV/AIDS is cared for by Catholic structures and staff. The monthly magazine issued by the Pontifical Mission Societies in Spain Misioneros Tercer Milenio dedicated a speical issue to this subject. See in Spanish
(http://www.omp.es/Secciones/Publicaciones/Misioneros/Misioneros.htm).
According to the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Workers and the Sick 61% of the local Catholic Churches in the world have an anti-AIDS programme of education, prevention and spiritual and medical assistance.
The Church runs 5.853 hospitals, 16.445 dispensaries 787 leprosy centres, 13.933 homes for the elderly 8.695 orphanages, 10.640 infant centre, 27.759 social homes and 19.305 centres of formation. Most of these institutions are in poor countries where the AIDS pandemic is a physical, moral and crisis.
It is estimated that in the next 20 years more than 70 million people will die of HIV/AIDS unless the international community extends its prevention programmes and increases economic commitments on all fronts. In the past year 3 million people died of AIDS (2.2 million in Africa), and 5 million more were infected.
Today the world has 40 million HIV positive cases, of whom 3 million under 15 years of age. Only 730.000 of those infected (less than 2% and mostly in developed countries) have access to vital antiviral treatment.
Besides Sub-Saharan Africa the most affected region, Latin America and the Caribbean are also seriously affected with a total of 1.820.000 infected person. AIDS, is the main cause of death in several Caribbean countries including Haiti, where life expectancy has been reduced by six years. In the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic the rate of infection is between 2% and 6%.
Eastern Europe is also at risk. The situation is particularly serious in Russia, due to widespread drug abuse and consequent passing of infected needles.
The World Health Organisations warns that the future in Asia looks gloomy. The number of infected persons in China, home to one fifth of the earth’s population, could increase from 1.5 million today to 10 million in 2010. India with 4 million HIV positive people, equal to 1% of its population, is the world’s most affected country after South Africa.
By the end of the year, through the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Workers and the Sick and all the many Catholic organisations, the Holy See will reach its objective to have institutions and anti-AIDS programmes in every country in Sub-Saharan Africa as well as new programmes in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Thailand and Lithuania. These programmes to assist those suffering from HIV/AIDS will provide various services, information and education, psychological, moral and spiritual counselling, home care and assistance in prisons. (AP) (29/11/2003 Fides Service; lines: 56 words: 603)
