Wear Orange Today!

What is the greatest humanitarian crisis in history? We all probably know. It is the AIDS pandemic. We have seen pictures of the children on late night television. Bono has gone across the globe calling attention to the disaster. Our last three presidents have devoted the greatest funding of any benevolent cause in the history of our country to assisting with the affected in Africa.

Is it better? Yes. Is it over? No.

A new study from the World Health Organization points out the great strides that have been made in recent years in combating HIV/AIDS. Increased funding to the US PEPFAR program (the president’s funding to help with AIDS in Africa) and the Global Fund have helped to improve testing, survival, and transmission. According to a new report by Towards Universal Access, the proportion of pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa who received an HIV test increased from 43 percent in 2008 to 51 percent in 2009. The report by the UNICEF regional director Elhadj Sy said the progress made in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission is testimony of the fact that virtual elimination by 2015 is achievable. “What we need is strong political leadership, funding, good programs and activism. If we build on the progress and with renewed commitment we are well on our way to achieving virtual elimination by 2015,” Sy said.

But in the last couple of years, contributions to these programs have either flat-lined or decreased. The incredible progress gives more evidence to how important continued donations of support can be in helping people live through AIDS.

We are getting so much closer. We can’t stop the progress. There still is not a cure for AIDS. But with the availability of antiretrovirals now, millions of people with HIV will not become victims to AIDS. With the increased emphasis on education, new cases of AIDS have actually decreased in Uganda and Kenya the two places where mandatory education is taking place in the schools.

But the direction can’t change now. The funding cannot be stopped until we see even more positive changes.

I remember teaching an AIDS education class in Uganda and a community leader told me he had the cure for AIDS. I asked what it was. He told me that you swallow a whole bottle of aspirin. I explained that it might stop AIDS, but the result would not be exactly what he had in mind. Another told me that he had heard that he could get rid of his AIDS if he had sex with a virgin. I had heard about this rumor but hearing it first hand stunned me. Obviously, education still needs to take place. But the saddest moment was when I was teaching 50 people who had AIDS about preparing for eternity, and a lady asked if she could make a comment. She said that she appreciated the information on eternal life but what she really wanted right now was some food. She then told me that she knew how to die but she just didn’t know how to live. There is still work to be done.

I continue to have hope. Things are changing for the better. But we can’t quit. We need Bill Gates to continue what he is doing. We need Obama to stay the course and continue what previous presidents have done in funding relief. We need donors to Christian Relief Fund to keep sponsoring AIDS orphans and see if they can help sponsor some new ones. The tragedy is even with all this advancement, there is a new AIDS orphan every 14 seconds.

December 1 is World AIDS Day. My friends in Kisumu, Kenya at the Jones Clinic will be teaching people how not to get AIDS today. They will tell the community what to do if you are positive. And they will show them where to get help and hope. It’s because of messages like these that I haven’t lost my hope. But there is also an expectation for those of us who are far away from the pandemic or who even try to keep away from the problem locally. AIDS is still here. And it is not going away without some effort on our part. Let’s not lose hope. Let’s not quit helping.

I wear orange for AIDS orphans. That’s the reason. Can you wear orange today and get the message of hope out?

About Milt

Milton Jones is the President of Christian Relief Fund in Amarillo, Texas. In his work there, he has focused on the care of AIDS orphans in Sub-Sahara Africa. He has also served as a preacher and campus minister in both Texas and Washington. Milton has authored eight books including a touching tale of one of his heroes with Cerebral Palsy, Sundays With Scottie. He is married to Barbie Jones and has two sons, Patrick and Jeremy.
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3 Responses to Wear Orange Today!

  1. Barbie Jones says:

    I’ll wear orange!

  2. Pingback: Tweets that mention Wear Orange Today! | Through Orange Colored Glasses -- Topsy.com

  3. Mary Brinkerhoff says:

    We are all wearing orange in Auburn! Of course, that is not asking a lot of us but we are giving special thought and prayer to those effected by the AIDS pandemic today. Thank you for helping make us more aware of those who are suffering and ways we can help.

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