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UMNS# 04545-United Methodist Church on frontline of AIDS crisis


From "NewsDesk" <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>
Date Fri, 19 Nov 2004 17:26:10 -0600

United Methodist Church on frontline of AIDS crisis 

Nov. 19, 2004	 News media contact:   Kathy  Gilbert * (615) 7425470* 
Nashville {04545}

NOTE: World AIDS Day is Dec. 1. Photographs are available by going to the
Photo Gallery at http://umns.umc.org and viewing the images for Nov. 19.
Related stories, UMNS #543 and 544, are also available.

By Kathy L. Gilbert*

A beautiful country bordering the Indian Ocean, Mozambique has a population
of 18.8 million. The United Methodist Church is alive and flourishing in
every providence with a membership of 160,000 and growing. Unfortunately the
HIV/AIDS pandemic is growing faster-1.3 million people are living with the
disease. 

The life expectancy of an infant born in Mozambique today is 37.1 years--37.8
for males and 36.3 for females.

In 2003, 110,000 people died of AIDS, leaving behind 470,000 orphans.

The latest figures suggest more than 14 percent of all Mozambicans ages 15 to
49 are HIV-positive. Poverty, inadequate health care and the lack of
life-saving drugs means a large portion of Mozambique's population is sick
and dying. 

A recent report by Mozambique's Health Ministry estimates more than 200,000
people have reached the stage of the disease where they should start taking
anti-retroviral drugs, which prolongs the lives of AIDS sufferers. Only 5,865
are receiving the drugs today.

Mozambique remains one of the poorest countries in the world with 70 percent
living below the poverty line. The annual per capita income is $86. Education
is a key part of fighting AIDS in Mozambique, yet the country's literacy rate
among people age 15 and older is 47.8 percent.

United Methodist Bishop Joao Somane Machado says the culture of the country
must be taken into consideration before any results will be seen. The United
Methodist Church is on the frontlines of the AIDS crisis in Mozambique with
orphanages, clinics, a hospital and education programs.

The 2004 United Methodist General Conference established a Global AIDS Fund
in an effort to raise $8 million in the next four years. Contributions to
Global HIV/AIDS Program may be sent through a local United Methodist church,
annual conference or by mailing a check to: Advance GCFA, P.O. Box 9068, GPO,
New York, NY 10087-9068. Write your check out to "Advance GCFA." Be sure to
include Global HIV/AIDS Program, Advance #982345 on the check memo line. Call
1-888-252-6174 to give by credit card. For more information visit the Advance
Web site www.gbgm-umc.org/advance.

*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer in Nashville, Tenn.

News media contact: Kathy L. Gilbert, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.

********************

United Methodist News Service


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