Around forty million people are living with HIV throughout the world - and that number increases in every region every day. In the UK alone, more than 60,000 people are living with HIV and more than 7,000 more are diagnosed every year. Ignorance and prejudice are fuelling the spread of a preventable disease.

World AIDS Day, 1 December is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV and AIDS. This year, it's up to you, me and us to stop the spread of HIV and end prejudice.

Here is one of the latest news on the treatment/prevention:

NEW DELHI: Former U.S. President Bill Clinton announced an agreement Thursday to cut prices of HIV and AIDS treatments for children, making the lifesaving drugs far more accessible worldwide.

Two Indian pharmaceutical companies have agreed to supply antiretroviral, or ARV, formulations for HIV-positive children at prices as low as 16 U.S. cents a day, or US$60 (€50) annually, Clinton said in a speech at a New Delhi children's hospital ahead of world AIDS Day on Dec. 1.

"This breakthrough is a great example of what we can do together. This is a great day, but we have a long way to go. We have to make a new commitment that every child and adult who needs treatment should have access" to the drugs, Clinton said.

Under the agreement, the two companies — Cipla Ltd. and Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., — will supply 19 different ARV formulations for prices that would be around 45 percent less than the lowest current rates for these drugs in developing countries, he said.

"Though the world has made progress in expanding HIV/AIDS treatment to adults, children have been left behind. Only one in 10 children who needs treatment is getting it," Clinton said.

In January, Clinton negotiated the reduction of prices of rapid HIV tests and anti-AIDS drugs for adults. Several Indian firms were involved in that deal too.

UNITAID, the international drug purchase facility, established in September by France, Brazil, Chile, Norway and the U.K., would help subsidize the program.

Under the deal, UNITAID would provide US$35 million (euro29 million) and the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative would contribute US$15 million (euro12.5 million), which would enable an additional 100,000 HIV-positive children in 62 countries to receive treatment in 2007.

The drugs will be supplied to the national governments of these countries for distribution through their public health and HIV/AIDS prevention programs.

Clinton was speaking at the Kalawati Saran Hospital, one of New Delhi's busiest hospitals for children, at the launch of a new national program by the Indian government to treat HIV-positive children. India, with 5.7 million HIV-positive people, has the highest number of cases in the world.

The new deal would provide HIV treatment for 10,000 Indian children by March 2007 by adding pediatric care to all adult HIV and AIDS treatment centers in the country.

"No child should have to live with HIV. Pediatric drugs should be affordable and easy to administer," said France's Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, chairman of UNITAID, who was present at the launch of the program.

Indian health authorities are trying to curb the spread of HIV in India, where nearly 5.2 million people are infected, giving it the world's highest number of HIV and AIDS cases, said India's Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss.

Lauding Clinton's efforts in battling the disease, Sonia Gandhi, chief of the governing Congress party, said six of India's 28 states have been seriously hit by HIV and AIDS cases.

These include the northeastern states of Nagaland and Manipur, where transmission was primarily through injected drug use, she said.

"The proximity to Myanmar, an important source of drugs, is a major contributing factor," she said.

Getting infected by the human immunodeficiency virus can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a condition that results in a weakened immune system. There is currently no cure for the condition but ARVs help to suppress it, allowing sufferers to lead relatively normal lives. HIV can be transmitted by various means including unprotected sex, shared intravenous drug injections and by mothers to their unborn babies.

Clinton, whose two-year appointment as U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special tsunami envoy ends Dec. 31, is visiting India, Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia — all countries hardest hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004 that killed more than 216,000 people in 12 countries.

852 million people across the world are hungry, up from 842 million a year ago.

Every day, more than 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes--one child every five seconds.

In essence, hunger is the most extreme form of poverty, where individuals or families cannot afford to meet their most basic need for food.

Hunger manifests itself in many ways other than starvation and famine. Most poor people who battle hunger deal with chronic undernourishment and vitamin or mineral deficiencies, which result in stunted growth, weakness and heightened susceptibility to illness.

Countries in which a large portion of the population battles hunger daily are usually poor and often lack the social safety nets we enjoy, such as soup kitchens, food stamps, and job training programs. When a family that lives in a poor country cannot grow enough food or earn enough money to buy food, there is nowhere to turn for help.
Facts and Figures on Population

Today our world houses 6.55 billion people.

The United States is a part of the developed or industrialized world, which consists of about 57 countries with a combined population of only 0.9 billion, less than one sixth of the world’s population.

In contrast, approximately 5 billion people live in the developing world. This world is made up of about 125 low and middle-income countries in which people generally have a lower standard of living with access to fewer goods and services than people in high-income countries.

The remaining 0.4 billion live in countries in transition, which include the Baltic states, eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Facts and Figures on Hunger and Poverty

Worldwide, more than 1 billion people currently live below the international poverty line, earning less than $1 per day.

Among this group of poor people, many have problems obtaining adequate, nutritious food for themselves and their families. As a result, 815 million people in the developing world are undernourished. They consume less than the minimum amount of calories essential for sound health and growth.

Undernourishment negatively affects people’s health, productivity, sense of hope and overall well-being. A lack of food can stunt growth, slow thinking, sap energy, hinder fetal development and contribute to mental retardation.

Economically, the constant securing of food consumes valuable time and energy of poor people, allowing less time for work and earning income.
Socially, the lack of food erodes relationships and feeds shame so that those most in need of support are often least able to call on it.

Go to the World Food Programme website and click on either "Counting the Hungry" or "Interactive Hunger Map" for presentations on hunger and poverty around the world.

Facts and Figures on Health

Poor nutrition and calorie deficiencies cause nearly one in three people to die prematurely or have disabilities, according to the World Health Organization.

Pregnant women, new mothers who breastfeed infants, and children are among the most at risk of undernourishment.

Every year, nearly 11 million children die before they reach their fifth birthday. Almost all of these deaths occur in developing countries, 3/4 of them in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the two regions that also suffer from the highest rates of hunger and malnutrition.

Most of these deaths are attributed, not to outright starvation, but to diseases that move in on vulnerable children whose bodies have been weakened by hunger.

Every year, more than 20 million low-birth weight babies are born in developing countries. These babies risk dying in infancy, while those who survive often suffer lifelong physical and cognitive disabilities.

The four most common childhood illnesses are diarrhea, acute respiratory illness, malaria and measles. Each of these illnesses is both preventable and treatable. Yet, again, poverty interferes in parents’ ability to access immunizations and medicines. Chronic undernourishment on top of insufficient treatment greatly increases a child’s risk of death.

In the developing world, 27 percent of children under 5 are moderately to severely underweight. 10 percent are severely underweight. 10 percent of children under 5 are moderately to severely wasted, or seriously below weight for one’s height, and an overwhelming 31 percent are moderately to severely stunted, or seriously below normal height for one’s age.

Facts and Figures on HIV/AIDS

The spreading HIV/AIDS epidemic has quickly become a major obstacle in the fight against hunger and poverty in developing countries.

Because the majority of those falling sick with AIDS are young adults who normally harvest crops, food production has dropped dramatically in countries with high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates.

In half of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa, per capita economic growth is estimated to be falling by between 0.5 and 1.2 percent each year as a direct result of AIDS.

Infected adults also leave behind children and elderly relatives, who have little means to provide for themselves. In 2003, 12 million children were newly orphaned in southern Africa, a number expected to rise to 18 million in 2010.

Since the epidemic began, 25 million people have died from AIDS, which has caused more than 15 million children to lose at least one parent. For its analysis, UNICEF uses a term that illustrates the gravity of the situation; child-headed households, or minors orphaned by HIV/AIDS who are raising their siblings.


1.1 % (ages 15-49) of the world is HIV prevalent (2003 data).

1.3 % (ages 15-49) of developing countries are HIV prevalent (2003 data).

Approximately 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in the world. Of this figure, 60 percent live in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Each year, another 5 million people become infected with HIV and more than 3 million people die of AIDS.

Courtesy www.bread.org (updated: August 29, 2006)


NOTE: There is an ongoing project here in TIG called "Farming 4 Famine". The aim is to look into the issues of food crisis, if you are interested join us today @ http://projects.takingitglobal.org/farming4famine
Together we'll make a change!

More than half of Africa is now in need of urgent food assistance

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is warning that 27 sub-Saharan countries now need help.

But what appear as isolated disasters brought about by drought or conflict in countries like Somalia, Malawi, Niger, Kenya and Zimbabwe are - in reality - systemic problems.

It is African agriculture itself that is in crisis, and according to the International Food Policy Research Institute, this has left 200 million people malnourished.

It is particularly striking that the FAO highlights political problems such as civil strife, refugee movements and returnees in 15 of the 27 countries it declares in need of urgent assistance. By comparison drought is only cited in 12 out of 27 countries.

The implication is clear - Africa's years of wars, coups and civil strife are responsible for more hunger than the natural problems that befall it.

Critical issues

In essence Africa's hunger is the product of a series of interrelated factors. Africa is a vast continent, and no one factor can be applied to any particular country. But four issues are critical:


Decades of underinvestment in rural areas, which have little political clout.
Africa's elites respond to political pressure, which is mainly exercised in towns and cities. This is compounded by corruption and mismanagement - what donors call a lack of sound governance.

Poor governance is a major issue in many African countries, and one that has serious repercussions for long-term food security," says a statement by the International Food Policy Research Institute.

"Problems such as corruption, collusion and nepotism can significantly inhibit the capacity of governments to promote development efforts."


Wars and political conflict, leading to refugees and instability.

In 2004 the chairman of the African Union Commission, Alpha Oumar Konare, reminded an AU summit that the continent had suffered from 186 coups and 26 major wars in the past 50 years. It is estimated that there are more than 16 million refugees and displaced persons in Africa.

Farmers need stability and certainty before they can succeed in producing the food their families and societies need.


HIV/Aids depriving families of their most productive labour.

This is particularly a problem in southern Africa, where over 30% of sexually active adults are HIV positive. According to aid agency Oxfam, when a family member becomes infected, food production can fall by up to 60%, as women are not only expected to be carers, but also provide much of the agricultural labour.


Unchecked population growth

"Sub-Saharan Africa 's population has grown faster than any region over the past 30 years, despite the millions of deaths from the Aids pandemic," the UN Population Fund says.


"Between 1975 and 2005, the population more than doubled, rising from 335 to 751 million, and is currently growing at a rate of 2.2% a year."
In some parts of Africa land is plentiful, and this is not a problem. But in others it has had severe consequences.

It has forced farming families to subdivide their land time and again, leading to tiny plots or families moving onto unsuitable, overworked land. In the highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea some land is now so degraded that there is little prospect that it will ever produce a decent harvest.

This problem is compounded by the state of Africa's soils. In sub-Saharan Africa soil quality is classified as degraded in about 72% of arable land and 31% of pasture land.

In addition to natural nutrient deficiencies in the soil, soil fertility is declining by the year through "nutrient mining", whereby nutrients are removed over the harvest period and lost through leaching, erosion or other means. Nutrient levels have declined over the past 30 years, says the International Food Policy Research Institute.

Consequences


The result is that a continent that was more than self sufficient in food at independence 50 years ago, is now a massive food importer. The book The African Food Crisis says that in less than 40 years the sub-continent went from being a net exporter of basic food staples to relying on imports and food aid.

In 1966-1970, net exports averaged 1.3 million tons of food a year, it states.


"By the late 1970s Africa imported 4.4 million tonnes of staple foods a year, a figure that had risen to 10 million tonnes by the mid 1980s."

It said that since independence, agricultural output per capita remained stagnant, and in many places declined.

By Martin Plaut
BBC Africa analyst

NOTE: There is an ongoing project here in TIG called "Farming 4 Famine". The aim is to look into the issues of food crisis, if you are interested join us today @ http://projects.takingitglobal.org/farming4famine
& together we'll make a change!

Famine

World Hunger, Poverty & Famine: How They Fit Together
852 million people across the world are hungry.

In essence, hunger is the most extreme form of poverty, where individuals or families cannot afford to meet their most basic need for food.

Hunger manifests itself in many ways other than starvation and famine. Most poor people who battle hunger deal with chronic undernourishment and vitamin or mineral deficiencies, which result in stunted growth, weakness and heightened susceptibility to illness.

Countries in which a large portion of the population battles hunger daily are usually poor and often lack the social safety nets we enjoy, such as soup kitchens, food stamps, and job training programs. When a family that lives in a poor country cannot grow enough food or earn enough money to buy food, there is nowhere to turn for help.
Facts and Figures on Population

Today our world houses 6.47 billion people.

The United States is a part of the developed or industrialized world, which consists of about 50 countries with a combined population of only 0.9 billion, less than one sixth of the world's population.

In contrast, approximately 5 billion people live in the developing world. This world is made up of about 125 low and middle-income countries in which people generally have a lower standard of living with access to fewer goods and services than people in high-income countries.

The remaining 0.4 billion live in countries in transition, which include the Baltic states, eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Facts and Figures on Hunger, Famine and Poverty

In the developing world, more than 1.2 billion people currently live below the international poverty line, earning less than $1 per day.

Among this group of poor people, many have problems obtaining adequate, nutritious food for themselves and their families. As a result, 815 million people in the developing world are undernourished. They consume less than the minimum amount of calories essential for sound health and growth.

Undernourishment negatively affects people's health, productivity, sense of hope and overall well-being. A lack of food can stunt growth, slow thinking, sap energy, hinder fetal development and contribute to mental retardation.

Economically, the constant securing of food consumes valuable time and energy of poor people, allowing less time for work and earning income.

Socially, the lack of food erodes relationships and feeds shame so that those most in need of support are often least able to call on it.

The international community often responds to famines by donating food. As a discussion of recent events in Sudan demonstrate, however, donating food aid is only the first step in ensuring that food aid gets to those in need: Engineering Famine: The Manipulation of Food Assistance in Sudan.

Facts and Figures on Health

Poor nutrition and calorie deficiencies cause nearly one in three people to die prematurely or have disabilities, according to the World Health Organization.

Pregnant women, new mothers who breastfeed infants, and children are among the most at risk of undernourishment.

153 million children under 5 in the developing world are underweight. Worse yet, 11 million children younger than 5 die every year, more than half from hunger-related causes.

Most of these deaths are attributed, not to outright starvation, but to diseases that move in on vulnerable children whose bodies have been weakened by hunger.

The four most common childhood illnesses are diarrhea, acute respiratory illness, malaria and measles. Each of these illnesses is both preventable and treatable. Yet, again, poverty interferes in parents' ability to access immunizations and medicines. Chronic undernourishment on top of insufficient treatment greatly increases a child's risk of death.

In the developing world, 27 percent of children under 5 are moderately to severely underweight. 8 percent are severely underweight. 8 percent of children under 5 are moderately to severely wasted, or seriously below weight for one's height, and an overwhelming 31 percent are moderately to severely stunted, or seriously below normal height for one's age.
(Statistics updated: October 10, 2005)

NOTE: There is an ongoing project here in TIG called "Farming 4 Famine". The aim is to look into the issues of food crisis, if you are interested join us today @ http://projects.takingitglobal.org/farming4famine
Together we'll make a change!

On seeing this little child's photo, how did you feel?
Can you express it? How?
You can now see how God has blessed you even in your condition now....
You can equally see the reason for your creation! your existence!...
HE (God) also blessed this little child...but the blessing will be well expressed if you join to care for her....as some people has been taking care of you for God's blessings to shine on you.

Money may not be the issue, just love and compassion matter most in changing our world from the scourge of FAMINE and WAR.
I strongly believe with your knowledge, you can help in buillding a World of Peace, a World of Joy and a World of Food.
Please dear, kindly think of how you can contribute your knowledge to profer a solution to the word FAMINE.

I have a project "FARMING 4 FAMINE", I hope if we all contribute our knowledge of agriculture we can change our world. With this project we can all SPREAD the uses of Technology in agricultural productivity.
You don't need to have any background knowledge of farming, agriculture, science, technology etc to join...what matters is the concern you show in the plight of the "distressed".
My strong belief lies in the fact that everyone is bless with a knowledge whatsoever.

"Science is a celebration of human achievement and tool for living a richer life"...Steve Burns.

Dear, U can DO it...u're are welcome!