On November 30, 2007, the President and First Lady hosted a contingent of leaders at Calvary United Methodist Church in Mount Airy, Maryland, to recognize World AIDS Day. Dr. Jo Anne Lyon joined governmental and religious leaders from around the world to meet with the Bushes and discuss progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS and challenges still remaining. The President announced that the administration’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief has made anti-retroviral drugs available to over 1.4 million Africans since its launch in 2003 and has reached tens of millions with its HIV-prevention education measures. Read the full text of the President’s address here.

HIV/AIDS is the humanitarian crisis of our lifetime with nearly 40 million people affected worldwide. Youth are hard hit by the epidemic with half of new infections occurring between the ages of 15-24. Children are also left vulnerable with an estimated 25 million orphans by the year 2010. The number of infections in women continues to rise due to crippling effects of gender inequality and sexual violence. Areas with high poverty rates are also heavily impacted by the virus. Sadly, many young people lack basic information on HIV/AIDS and the means to protect themselves, often orphans are maltreated, and often women are not given the access to HIV care and support they desperately need. Women, youth (ages 15-24), orphans and people in poverty are gravely impacted, in need of prevention resources and training, economic empowerment and psycho-social support for themselves and their families. 

World Hope International is also educating communities here in the United States as well. 

We believe it is important for people living in the United States to be informed about how HIV/AIDS is affecting people around the world so we can stand in solidarity with them.

1 UNAIDS/WHO (2004) Report on the global AIDS epidemic

2 Risk and Protection: Youth and HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Alan Guttmacher Institute On-line

3 UNAIDS, UNICEF, USAID 'Children on the Brink 2004:

A joint report of new orphan estimates and a framework for action

4 The New Face of AIDS (2004, November 25) The Economist.