HIV and AIDS

A global emergency

AIDS_Ribbon.jpg  The drama of AIDS threatens not just some nations or societies, but the whole of humanity. It knows no frontiers or geography, race, age, or social condition.... Only a response that takes into account both the medical aspects of the illness, as well as the human, cultural, ethical, and religious dimensions of life, can offer complete solidarity to its victims and raise the hope that the epidemic can be controlled and turned back.
(Pope John Paul II's address during his Pastoral Visit to Tanzania, 1990)

The HIV and AIDS epidemic is a global emergency that affects people in every country on earth. In 2005, 38.6 million people were living with HIV, 4.1 million people were newly infected and 2.8 million people lost their lives. It has been estimated that by the end of 2005, a total of 25 million people had died of AIDS since it was first recognised in 1981 (UNAIDS).

The pandemic continues to grow, and at the root of many of the problems is ignorance of the facts about AIDS, stigma and discrimination which ostracise people from family, communities and the work place; and poverty, which makes communities and individuals more vulnerable and prevents access to treatment.

HIV and AIDS and poverty

HIV and AIDS are both a major cause of poverty and a reflection of poverty.

The epidemic is one of the biggest threats to human development, both contributing to and reflecting poverty and injustice. 

In its wake of suffering and death, HIV and AIDS robs communities of their dignity, their relatives, their social networks and their livelihoods. Pre-existing f actors such as poverty, poor nutrition, inadequate healthcare and gender disparities increase people's susceptibility to the epidemic.

When people are no longer able to work due to illness, family income drops and it becomes more difficult to provide food, shelter, and support dependent children. All of these stresses then shorten the period before the onset of HIV and full blown AIDS.

The Church and HIV/AIDS

In the past the Church brought solace to lepers and the plague victim; today, HIV/AIDS cries out for relief.
Fr Angelo Agostino, SJ, priest and doctor

In response to God's love for all of humanity, lived out by Jesus' own response to the most vulnerable in his community, the Church is called to model acceptance for all and to ensure that all receive support and care. For people living with HIV or AIDS, and for their families and communities, this response will necessarily be multi-faceted.

It is estimated that 26.7% of all the centres around the world that treat people infected with HIV or AIDS are Catholic-based.

Caritas Internationalis' message for World AIDS Day 2007:
CI_World AIDS Day Message 2007.docWorld AIDS Day Message 2007.doc (29.50 KB)

What Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is doing

AIDS is to be combated by realistically facing its deeper causes and the sick are to be given the loving care they need. Social issues and the Gospel are inseparable. When we bring people only knowledge, ability, technical competence and tools, we bring them too little.
Pope Benedict XVI, homily at the Neue Messe, Munich , Sunday, 10 September 2006

Caritas responds with unconditional love and respect for the dignity and rights of all, particularly those who are vulnerable or marginalised. As HIV and AIDS affects all parts of people's lives, Caritas tries to ensure that there is an element of HIV and AIDS prevention, care or treatment in all our development and humanitarian programmes wherever possible. For example:

  • HIV and AIDS information is provided through the advocacy newsletters produced by Caritas Papua New Guinea.
  • HIV and AIDS education is provided to remote rural farmers in Uganda as part of a sustainable agriculture programme.
  • Caritas supports women who are victims of violence to access post-exposure treatment in Kenya .
  • Caritas works with the Sudan Churches as part of emergency response in Dafur, Sudan.

Chiga Orphan and Family Support project: Caritas is supporting a Parish partner in the West of Kenya to provide support for orphans (who have lost their parents to HIV or AIDS) to enable them to go to school and receive medical care as well as support families (often headed by siblings or grandparents) to develop income sources to enable to continue to pay for the ongoing care of the children.

 Project_team__Chiga.JPG
   Photo: The Project Team at Chiga

In the Pacific region, Caritas has supported a number of workshops within the Catholic Church to provide correct and complete information on the HIV and AIDS epidemic and to look at how the church should respond, based on the teachings of the church and the experience of others working in this area.

In New Zealand, Caritas is raising awareness of the HIV and AIDS problem in our region. We are also developing links with the Papua New Guinea Catholic Health Commission to ensure that people living with HIV or AIDS are appropriately cared for in their sometimes remote communities.

It is necessary for us all to be part of the solution if we are to see countries in our region, such as Papua New Guinea, maintain the ability to determine and manage their own futures.

Caritas believes that in the long term, behavioural change is the most important and fundamental way to reduce the spread of HIV. Caritas aims to assist people to modify their behaviour to reduce the risk of HIV or AIDS.

We recognise that consistent and sustained social and personal behavioural change is a complex and long-term process and that the scale and rapid spread of HIV in Africa, Asia, Oceania and elsewhere constitutes a public health emergency that requires immediate and urgent measures.

Caritas also recognises the importance of ensuring that people have access to full and accurate information about HIV and AIDS, its causes, methods of transmission, and all possible means by which they may protect themselves against it. Caritas does not support any programme which gives misleading or inaccurate information about HIV and AIDS prevention.

Be part of the solution!

  • Hold a special worship service for World AIDS Day to reflect on promises made and the need for increased action in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Information and worship resources for World AIDS Day can be found here.
  • Learn more about the issues – take a look at the links below.

Useful links

Key terms

AIDS     
(Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) AIDS is the collection of symptoms and infections associated with acquired deficiency of the immune system. Infection with HIV has been established as the underlying cause of AIDS. The level of HIV in the body and the appearance of certain infections are used as indicators that HIV infection has progressed to AIDS.

HIV                   
(Human Immunodeficiency Virus). HIV is a retrovirus that infects cells of the human immune system (mainly CD4 positive T cells and macrophages—key components of the cellular immune system), and destroys or impairs their function. Infection with this virus results in the progressive depletion of the immune system, leading to 'immune deficiency'.

The immune system is considered deficient when it can no longer fulfil its role of fighting off infection and diseases. Immunodeficient people are much more vulnerable to a wide range of infections, most of which are very rare among people without immune deficiency. Diseases associated with severe immunodeficiency are known as 'opportunistic infections', because they take advantage of a weakened immune system.

Source: http://www.unaids.org/en/MediaCentre/References/default.asp