AIDS in Africa: hope against the odds

by Ken Hackett

World AIDS Day, December 1, reminds us of our responsibility to care for and about those infected with HIV. Red ribbons adorn the lapels of people throughout the United States as a sign of solidarity and a search for a cure, but there is a pervasive and muted awareness that separates people here from the day to day realities of the disease. In the East African country, Tanzania, one of the world’s poorest countries, there is no such luxury. For Tanzanians, among whom one in every five people is HIV-positive, AIDS is as real and as immediate as the ground beneath their feet.

AIDS in Africa is a grim numbers game. Only 10 percent of the world’s population lives in sub-Saharan Africa, yet 70 percent of HIV-positive cases can be found there. Added to this staggering statistic the fact that 95 percent of all AIDS orphans live in Africa. The sheer magnitude of the AIDS pandemic in Africa is so large as to be nearly unfathomable. We can be forgiven our inability to comprehend the magnitude of the crisis; however, this forgiveness cannot be an excuse for turning away.

PASADA (Pastoral Activities and Services for people with AIDS) is the only clinic of its kind in a city of three million that speaks volumes about the challenges Father Rick Bauer, Executive Director, and his staff face. The project began in 1992 through a partnership with Catholic Relief Services, and the past eight years have seen PASADA grow to meet the ever increasing demand for services.

Among those in greatest need of care are the children left orphaned as a result of AIDS. Nearly 800,000 children in Tanzania have lost one or both parents; an entire generation growing up with no sense of family stability. Central to PASADA’s work with these children is keeping them connected to their communities. The children are not placed in institutions but are instead cared for by extended family members. PASADA provides assistance to help cover costs for food, clothing, school fees, and other expenses. In addition, PASADA offers counseling and follows the development of each child to ensure his or her well being in the future.

Education and awareness raising are critical to PASADA’s work. In a country where fewer than 30 percent finish primary school and only 40 percent are literate, the education program is designed to increase AIDS awareness and provide clear and accurate information about how HIV is transmitted, using workshops, seminars, classroom instruction, and community educators to spread the message. Through the use of drama, dance, and music, a group of 25 young adults, some of whom are HIV-positive, reach out to those at high risk for infection.

World AIDS Day can serve as a day to renew our commitment to caring for those against whom the odds are stacked. We must remember those who have died, we must pray for those who are infected, and we must advocate for and accept nothing short of a cure.

Ken Hackett is Executive Director of Catholic Relief Services.

For further information about AIDS Ministry in the Diocese of New Ulm, contact Father Paul Schumacher, St Peter parish, 307 W 4th St, Canby, MN 56220; (507) 223-7304 or see diocesan website at www.dnu.org under Social Concerns.