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Few fights are more pressing than the fight against the continuing HIV/AIDS pandemic. Estimates of people living with HIV were between 36 and 44 million at the end of 2004; over 10 million children have been orphaned by AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.
The impact of HIV/AIDS reaches far beyond the tragic loss of life. Families, communities and nations are facing the social and economic toll of the crippling loss of human capacity: in many African countries AIDS has claimed more than half of their trained teachers and one in four of their trained physicians, and many countries have experienced up to 60% decreases in food production and significant reductions in industrial productivity. The crisis represents a major challenge to fundamental human rights, illustrated most starkly by the inequity of treatment access between rich and poor countries, particularly in Southern Africa which accounts for 84% of AIDS deaths, but just 3% of global AIDS spending.
When properly connected, individual donors can have a real impact on this global crisis. The possibility of treatment throughout the world is real. To have a positive impact on the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS, work must be directed toward both the global and local levels. Small grassroots organizations in places such as Kampala, Uganda, Chang Rai, Thailand, or Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan need support for their everyday work to ensure access to quality treatment and education. In many of these organizations, a small amount of funding can go a long way.
This project is a partnership between Tides Foundation and the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition. And you can be a part of it, too.
Learn more about the Collaborative Fund for HIV Treatment Preparedness
