HIV/AIDS and Holistic Evangelism: The Challenge for the Church | Lausanne World Pulse Archives
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The Scope of the AIDS Pandemic Worldwide
AIDS killed between 2.5 and 3.5 million people worldwide in 2006, including 400,000 children under the age of fifteen.1 Malaria used to be the leading cause of death in the Developing World, killing one million people or more each year.2 However, the total number of AIDS deaths appear to be outstripping even those from malaria. What is more disturbing is that death rates from AIDS continue to increase in every area of the world, except in North America and Western and Central Europe, each year. Even more alarming is the ongoing rise in the number of people becoming infected with HIV. For example, in 2004, the total estimated number of new HIV infections was 3.9 million worldwide; however, in 2006, estimates were at 4.3 million.
In 2006, almost two-thirds (sixty-three percent) of all persons infected with HIV were living in sub-Saharan Africa. This translates into twenty-five million people. An estimated 2.8 million adults and children from this same area became infected with HIV in 2006, more than in all other regions of the world combined. The 2.1 million AIDS deaths in sub-Saharan Africa represent seventy-two percent of global AIDS deaths. An estimated 8.6 million people were living with HIV in Asia in 2006, including the 960,000 individuals who became newly infected in the past year. Approximately 630,000 died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2006. These two regions, sub-Sahara Africa and Asia, represent the areas of the world with the greatest number of people living with AIDS. The total number of people living with HIV in 2006 in all countries was estimated at 39.5 million.3
Reaching Out to Those with AIDS No matter where we may live, we will eventually find ourselves in contact with or knowing someone who is living with AIDS. Those living in sub-Sahara Africa may be surrounded by friends or relatives who appear to be very sick. However, in many parts of the world, telling friends, family or even fellow church members that you have AIDS puts you at risk for being ostracized. Because of this, many people with AIDS remain silent. We, as Christians, must ask ourselves two questions: (1) How can Christians and the Church recognize this barrier of fear and break it? and (2) What is the basis of this fear and what are some of the social and cultural barriers to be overcome in helping someone with AIDS?