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HIV and AIDS
HIV and AIDS have a huge impact on poverty because they affect millions of adult women and men whose work drives their countries’ economies and services, and who care for the young and the old. While HIV and AIDS push more and more families into poverty, poverty makes them more vulnerable to infections. For Oxfam’s mission to overcome poverty and suffering to succeed, it is vital that this cycle is broken.
Oxfam and HIV and AIDS
Over 33.2 million people worldwide are living with HIV and AIDS -- half of them are women. Nearly all live in poor countries and are unable to get the treatment and care they need.
Every day, over 68,000 persons are infected with HIV, with young people especially at risk. 420,000 children under the age of 15 years were infected with HIV in 2007 and half of all new infections occur among 15 to 24 year olds. read more...
Gender and HIV and AIDS in Southern Africa and Canada
Globally, HIV and AIDS is a gender based epidemic, and the response to the epidemic is failing women. The number of women living with HIV has risen in each region of the world.
In Canada, HIV infection rates are on the rise, and nearly 25% of new infections occur in women. Women are at a higher risk of infection due to gender inequalities, and racial discrimination.
Southern Africa has 10% of the world’s population and 60% of the global AIDS epidemic. Girls are five times more likely than boys to be living with HIV.
Read these stories
“Around here they call me ‘Doctor of Africa’ because of what I have learnt,” says Nhararai Janissone.
Sister Beatrice Mkandawire is the Senior Registered Nurse at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Malawi. This is a hospital in crisis.
Read more...
Oxfam Canada member and volunteer, Robyn Pardy writes of her life-changing experience meeting partners on the front lines of HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa. Read more...
What you can do
1) Join Oxfam's For All campaign for quality public services like clean water, sanitation, health care and education. Read more...
2) Learn more about how women and girls are particularly impacted by HIV and AIDS both in Canada and abroad.
3) Take action on violence against women, one of the leading factors in the spread of HIV. Find out more...
4) Through Oxfam Unwrapped you can directly support our work to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS through peer to peer training as well support people with clean water, health training and much more. Find out more at oxfamunwrapped.ca
5) Get politically engaged! Write to your Member of Parliament and make sure that HIV and AIDS are on the political agenda. Find your MP here...
6) Listen to and watch Annie Lennox's new charity single Sing calling on women to sing out about HIV/AIDS. Click here. Annie Lennox talks about HIV/AIDS and Oxfam. Watch the clip.