PRNewswire - December 1, 2005

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Every day, the American people, through their compassion and generosity, provide needed, lifesaving assistance to vulnerable populations in developing countries, particularly those affected by HIV/AIDS. This year's theme for World AIDS Day on December 1 is Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise. The statistics indicate the significance of this promise. Today, more than 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV, the vast majority of those infections in sub-Saharan Africa. More than 3 million people died of AIDS in 2005, of which 750,000 were children. As a key partner in the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is implementing HIV/AIDS programs in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and in Europe. In 2005, 54 percent of Emergency Plan funding went to USAID. The agency's Telling Our Story project documents the fight against the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, bringing success and challenge to life through the voice and words of those on the frontlines of this deadly disease:

AFRICA

* In Tanzania -- First Lady Rallies Support for AIDS Clinic (July 2005): In July 2005, First Lady Laura Bush and her daughter Jenna visited Pastoral Activities and Services for People with AIDS (PASADA) in Dar es Salaam Archdiocese in Tanzania. Operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese, PASADA targets the urban poor, offering comprehensive care to people living with AIDS, regardless of their religious affiliation. Read more at http://www.usaid.gov/stories/tanzania/pc_tz_firstlady.html.

* In Zambia -- A Village Responds to HIV/AIDS (September 2005): Life is complicated in Mwenda. As in much of rural Zambia, residents here live in wood or brick huts with thatched roofs. Most are subsistence farmers or fishermen, and all have seen the direct impact of HIV/AIDS on their community. Mwenda's residents say they have a responsibility to care for orphans left alone by the disease. Read more at http://www.usaid.gov/stories/zambia/fp_zm_mwenda.html.

* In South Africa -- Takalani Sesame Educates Children About AIDS (February 2005): South Africans who were deprived access to basic education and healthcare under apartheid are now among the hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic. Takalani Sesame -- South Africa's Sesame Street - - took a bold step and created the first HIV-positive Muppet, Kami. Read more at http://www.usaid.gov/stories/southafrica/ss_southafrica_takalanisesame.html.

* In Malawi -- Finding Solutions Together (August 2004): Building local capacity to respond to the HIV/AIDS crisis in Malawi is critical. USAID is helping to fill the gap between the funds available to address HIV/AIDS and the local capacity to effectively provide services by funding the Malawi Network of AIDS Service Organizations. Read more at http://www.usaid.gov/stories/malawi/cs_malawi_aids.html.

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

* In Guyana -- A Mother Finds Support through USAID (August 2004): Brenda, a 25-year-old mother, attended her first antenatal visit for her second pregnancy. During the group counseling, the health counselor discussed HIV/AIDS transmission from a mother to her child and ways to reduce this transmission. Brenda, who was about 12 weeks pregnant, underwent individual pre-test counseling on HIV and agreed to take the HIV test. Read more at http://www.usaid.gov/stories/guyana/ss_guyana_hiv.html.

* In Honduras -- Leading the Fight Against HIV (April 2005): Rosa Gonzalez is a Honduran woman who works on HIV/AIDS prevention in Central America. After testing positive for HIV in 1996 -- along with her husband and daughter -- Rosa went public with her status so that people living with HIV/AIDS would become more visible. Read more at http://www.usaid.gov/stories/honduras/fp_honduras_hiv.html.

* In El Salvador -- A Special HIV/AIDS Counselor (May 2005): In an effort to reduce HIV/AIDS transmissions in El Salvador's National Civilian Police, USAID is working with police officers, administrative personnel and their families to improve their understanding and awareness of the disease. Dr. Belisa Lucila De Sanchez is a visually impaired psychologist who runs the HIV/AIDS program and provides counseling services. Read more at http://www.usaid.gov/stories/elsalvador/fp_elsalvador_aidscounselor.html.

ASIA AND THE NEAR EAST

* In Thailand -- HIV Care Bridges a Great Divide (October 2005): The parents of this Bangkok family of five tested positive for HIV last year. The illness compromised their livelihoods, while their young children, who had no access to public schools, had to fend for themselves. USAID is using a novel approach to reduce prejudice against HIV-infected people and alleviate poverty among HIV-affected households. USAID is also supporting home-based care to 400 HIV positive residents of Bangkok's slums. Read more at http://www.usaid.gov/stories/thailand/pc_thailand_bangkokfamily.html.

* In India -- Social Hubs Help Teach About AIDS (June 2005): Every day, 6,000 long-distance truckers and their assistants travel along Indian Chennai-Bangalore highway, often stopping for up to two weeks to wait for their next assignment. Separated from their families for long periods of time, these drivers are highly, and uniquely, vulnerable to contracting HIV/AIDS. Read more at http://www.usaid.gov/stories/india/ss_in_truckdrivers1.html.

EUROPE AND EURASIA

* In Russia -- HIV Campaign Reaches Out to Youth (August 2005): Over the past decade, Russia has experienced one of the fastest growing HIV/AIDS epidemics in the world. USAID, in coordination with the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, supported the launch of a new HIV education and prevention campaign targeted at Russian youth. Read more at http://www.usaid.gov/stories/russia/cs_ru_designer.html.

SOURCE U.S. Agency for International Development

Web Site: http://www.usaid.gov

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