22.5 million Sub-Saharan Africans are currently living with HIV. Let’s do something about it.
HIV remains one of the biggest issues affecting the lives of African people. Each year up to 2 million Africans acquire the infection, and about 1.3 million die as a result of it. One in 20 Sub-saharan African adults is living with HIV, and about 12 million African children have been orphaned by the pandemic.
This is one of the biggest humanitarian issues in the world, and it should be centre-stage in people’s minds EVERY day, not just on 1st December.
The good news is that recent years have brought with them real evidence that education and treatment really do work, and with this comes genuine hope that an end may be in sight. New infection rates in 22 African countries fell by more than 25% between 2001 and 2009, and by the end of 2008, 44% of people needing antiretroviral therapy received the drugs – an increase from 2% 5 years previously.
The reasons for these live-saving improvements are – broadly – twofold. Firstly people in Africa have successfully changed their behaviour as a result of access to information and resources – and secondly people all over the world have stepped up to the challenge of providing these resources. This is how simple saving lives can be – people giving and accepting help.
Clearly there is a long way to go. HIV is nowhere near as high on the global agenda as it should be, particularly in these euphemistically termed ‘times of austerity’ (we Brits may be rightly worried about our pensions, but in Uganda food inflation is at 50% and people are worried about their next meal). Global pledges made at G8 summits have not been delivered and we will fall well short of some of the Millenium Development Goals relating to HIV. As a result, millions will die unnecessarily due to lack of treatment, lack of resources, lack of information – in essence, lack of interest and commitment from the developed world.
Here’s what you can do to help. Pick one or more that strike the most resonance with you and do them today.
1. Read and share something about the HIV pandemic. We recommend this: http://www.positivenation.co.uk/magazine.php?section_id=8&issue_id=6 – or the latest UN report here or Avert’s excellent website where some of the stats above came from
2. Donate £10 to TackleAfrica by texting ‘TKAF11 £10′ to 70070. We will use your money to deliver HIV education through football coaching to young people across Africa
3. Register free with http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/tackleafrica and TackleAfrica will receive a small donation from major retailers when you shop online
4. Run a fundraising event for TackleAfrica at your school, workplace, university or football team. We’ll help, contact us for more details
5. ‘Like’ or ‘Follow’ TackleAfrica at www.facebook.com/tackleafrica or @tackleafrica on twitter. Ask others to like or follow us too
6. Make a regular donation at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charities/tackleafrica - it costs about £100 a year to train and support an African coach or schoolteacher to deliver HIV education to about 50 young people. Give £10 a month and we’ll be able to throw in a couple of footballs too.
7. Talk to your employer about partnership with TackleAfrica. We can work with your staff to change lives in Africa.
8. Register your interest in next year’s Football Marathon – email tom@tackleafrica.org
9. Organise your own Football Marathon with our support – email tom@tackleafrica.org
10. Volunteer your time and expertise to TackleAfrica – whether you’re a football coach, marketing expert, event organiser, researcher, doctor or anything else we will probably need your help. email info@tackleafrica.org
11. Climb Kilimanjaro in April and raise money for TackleAfrica. Email tom@tackleafrica.org
one game saves lives
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