HIV/AIDS in Africa

    Africa has been hit harder by the HIV/AIDS virus than any other region of the world.  More than 17 million Africans have died from AIDS and another 24.7 million are infected with the HIV virus, approximately 2 million of whom are children.

    People with AIDS don‘t suffer alone - the disease attacks their families and communities as well.  AIDS has stripped out an entire generation of parents, farmers, doctors, leaders.  Twelve million African children have already lost one or both parents to AIDS.

And unless serious action is taken now, there will be more than 18 million AIDS orphans by the end of the decade.  Millions of children will have lost not only their parents, but their teachers, nurses and friends too.  Businesses are losing their workers.  Governments are losing their civil servants.  Families are losing their breadwinners.  As a result, entire communities are devastated.

    The good news is that we know what works.  Successes in a handful of countries such as Uganda and Senegal have shown that HIV rates can be brought down through effective AIDS prevention campaigns.  Education, media campaigns, and community work can stop people from getting the HIV virus in the first place.  AIDS drugs also have the potential to make a huge difference.  In the past several years, people living with AIDS in Africa have dared to hope that they might get access to anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) that will keep them alive to work and care for their families.  Evidence shows that Africans taking the life-saving ARVs adhere to their regimens much better than Americans or Europeans--the success rate is about 90%.

    Significant progress has been made recently in increasing access to ARVs.  However, only 23% of those in need of ARV therapy are receiving it.  Significant barriers to treatment still remain, such as the price and availability of ARVS.  The cheapest drugs are a dollar a day, but most Africans cannot afford this.  It is also because of availability.  In some places, only more expensive drugs are available, plus in many communities, there is not infrastructure or trained health care workers to administer and monitor the treatment.  The scarcity of treatment results in doctors and families having to make the hardest choice of all--in the community, in the family, who will live and who will die.

    HomeAID currently concentrates most of its time and efforts to  groups in Malawi.  To learn more about Malawi click here.

  To date, HomeAID for Africa has committed over $200,000 to groups in Africa to help alleviate the suffering of HIV/AIDS.

Source: Data.org, 2007

EVERY DAY IN AFRICA...

5,500 people die from HIV/AIDS
7,700 people are infected with the HIV virus
1,400 newborn babies are infected during childbirth or by their mothers milk.

HomeAID for Africa

1191 Shady Grove Way

West Chester, PA 19382

HomeAID for Africa is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.  All donations are tax deductible.