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It is estimated that there are 38.6 million people living with HIV, including 2.3 million children. Around half of all people who become infected with HIV do so before they are 25 and are killed by AIDS before they are 35.  About 95% of people with HIV/AIDS live in developing nations. But HIV today is a threat to men, women and children on all continents. 

The red ribbon is the international symbol of HIV. Wear one and encourage your friends, colleagues and family to wear one, as a sign that together we CAN stop the spread of HIV and end prejudice.
About Pat
Pat has spent many years in health programmes in Africa, which inevitably put HIV/AIDS high on her agenda.  She is now in the parish of St Mary's, Upton (Wirral).

What are we doing about HIV/AIDS in this Diocese?
In 2005 we had a very successful Bishop's Harvest Appeal which raised over £36,000 for church-related HIV/AIDS programmes in Nigeria, Ghanaand Burundi. 

In December 2007 we held three special events to mark World AIDS Day with Canon Gideon Byamugisha, a priest from the Church of Uganda who has been living with HIV for more than 15 years.

"When they come they tell you the worst possible thing, that you are HIV positive, just like your wife who has just died, you think - you're a priest, you're supposed to set an example. Until then, not one priest in the history of the entire African continent has ever admitted to being HIV positive."

We heard stories of the terrible effects of HIV/AIDS on people and communities in Uganda and yet we were inspired by the courage and faithfulness of Canon Gideon Byamugisha and his colleagues in speaking out and preaching a message of hope and compassion.

This photo of Gideon and church members who attended the special event at St Chad's Wybunbury on 12 December was taken following a very enjoyable workshop style session. Gideon took us through exercises that he would use with church leaders eg ‘busting the myths of HIV/AIDS’. We learned much and marvelled at his skill. Donations from the events have been sent to the Hope Institute (founded by Gideon) which supports the education and training of orphans and other children made vulnerable by the AIDS epidemic.

Some parishes were eager to maintain a link with Gideon through the 'Friends of Canon Gideon Foundation'. CSR would also want to support the growing link between our diocese and the Dioceses of Aru and Boga in the Congo which includes IPASC (Institute Pan Africain de Santé Communautaire), which has an important HIV/AIDS programme - caring for and transporting people to Uganda for testing and treatment, which is not available in Congo.  

It will be a while before we have a similar activity, but now we need to put our efforts into information sharing and the promotion of healthy life-styles to prevent HIV infections.  We also need to ensure that anyone living with HIV finds love, support and understanding from us. 
Many parishes have links with churches and dioceses where there is a significant incidence of HIV, or where there are HIV/AIDS programmes.  Do we know how to support and encourage them? 

Plans for the future

• Facilitate a strategic Christian response to HIV/AIDS within parishes by sharing information and/or challenging misinformation and unhelpful attitudes
  
• Assist parishes with national or overseas links to promote 'best practice' in HIV/AIDS