Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lilongwe (Agenzia Fides) - “There is widespread participation in Malawi on the annual day for the fight against AIDS” . Monfort missionary Fr. Piergiorgio Gamba, who has worked in the country for several decades, told Fides in a report on the worldwide event marked on December 1st. “The main goal of much discussion and much planning is still ‘Getting to Zero’: no more AIDS infection, no more AIDS casualties, no more discrimination ”
“Since 1985 when Malawi registered its first case of AIDS, various different situations have changed, health services and assistance have certainly improved. However the battle is not won, the fight continues” said Fr. Gamba.
On the occasion of the start of the Season of Advent, the Catholic Health Commission on behalf of the Catholic Bishops of Malawi, reported on the situation regarding the spread of AIDS: 10.3% of Malawi’s population is HIV positive (in past years the percentage was 16%); 1,100,000 Malawians are HIV positive and of these 170,000 are children; in 2013 AIDS killed some 48,000 people (170 every day); the country has 790,000 AIDS orphans.
“Although the number of HIV positive children is dropping (thanks to a major prevention campaign); although the number of casualties is diminishing; although today 83% of HIV positive Malawians receive antiretroviral medicine (compared to 63% in the past), 80% of AIDS transmission happens in the family with a stable relationship. The number of HIV positive young people is increasing and more than half the HIV positive persons are females aged 15 and over ” the missionary tells Fides.
“It is the family and family fidelity which will win or will lose the battle with AIDS. The Synod for the Family in this area faces a tremendous challenge and demand for commitment” and Fr. Gamba concludes: “Malawi free of AIDS would be different: no AIDS orphans, no overcrowded hospitals unable to cope with so many patients, but above all a generation of citizens in a condition to contribute towards the wellbeing of the nation”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 3/12/2014)
