ADRA Urges Australian to Commemorate World AIDS Day
15 November 2006
Wahroonga, New South
Wales - The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Australia is encouraging
Australians to commemorate World AIDS Day on December 1. To promote
participation, ADRA has introduced a free kit, available from www.adra.org.au,
for community groups, churches, schools and individuals to get involved in
eradicating this preventable illness.
Centred on the theme, ‘AIDS can
be stopped only when we realise it’s everyone’s challenge,’ the kit includes a
poster, stories, sermon notes, activities and discussion guide for youth,
statistics and ideas on how to get further involved.
This year marks the 25th anniversary
of the AIDS epidemic. Since it was officially recognised in 1981, it has led to
the deaths of more than 25 million people worldwide. Currently, nearly 39
million people around the world, including 2.3 million children, are living
with HIV or AIDS.
“Wiping out HIV and AIDS is
something we should all care about because it can affect anyone,” said ADRA Australia’s
Chief Executive Officer, David Jack. “ADRA in encouraging Australians to talk
about HIV, especially with young people, and to respond with compassion to
those infected with or affected by HIV.”
In Australia, the HIV prevalence rate
among adults is 0.1 percent, claiming nearly 7,000 lives. In sub-Saharan Africa, the most affected region in the world, the rate
is 6.1 percent, causing the deaths of two million people.
“Here in Australia, we have many
privileges such as education, which has helped to keep HIV low compared to many
other countries, and health care, which helps increase the quality of life of
those infected,” said Mr Jack. “But in many countries, people do not have
access to these things.”
ADRA Australia is working in
communities in the Solomon Islands,
Kenya, Nepal and southern Africa
to reduce the impact of HIV and AIDS and is addressing issues that contribute
to the spread of HIV such as food insecurity, health and poverty.
World AIDS Day, established in
1988, aims to strengthen concerted global efforts to address the challenge of the
AIDS epidemic and provides an opportunity for governments, organisations,
businesses and individuals to unite in the response to HIV and AIDS.
ADRA Australia is a
non-government organisation (NGO) engaging in sustainable development programs and
disaster relief for people in Australia
and abroad. It is fully accredited with the Australian Government’s Agency for
International Development (AusAID) and is signatory to the Australian Council
for International Development (ACFID) Code of Conduct. The ADRA network has a
presence in 125 countries. For more information about ADRA Australia visit
www.adra.org.au.
Media Enquiries:
Candice Jaques
p 02 9489 5488
m 0407 172 305
e email us
w www.adra.org.au
