HIV

HIV is one of the biggest issues facing the developing world today. Globally, there are 33.2 million people living with HIV, and more than two thirds live in the parts of the world where we work.

Sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear a disproportionate share of the global HIV burden.  An estimated 22.5 million people living with HIV resided in sub-Saharan Africa in 2009, representing 68% of the global HIV burden.

In Asia an estimated 4.9 million people were living with HIV in 2009, about the same number as five years earlier.

This has a devastating impact on countries, communities and individuals. A family supporting someone with HIV-related illnesses causes a reduction in household income, and can result in the loss of employment; the sale of assets for medical/transport costs; strain or loss of agricultural outputs or livelihood.

Children are taken out of school, losing their education and often resulting in food shortages and increased poverty.

For countries, HIV-related illness or death can result in political instability as HIV affects people in their most productive years (15-49yrs), leaving behind a generation of orphans.

For these reasons, we cannot afford to overlook the issue of HIV.

Cord’s purpose is to transform lives and conflict, and it cannot achieve this without responding to the issue of HIV.

We pay particular attention to the gender aspect of the HIV epidemic, as women now account for half of all global cases, and 61% of people living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa. Women’s lack of empowerment and violence against women continue to fuel the spread of the virus.

Our response is to address HIV in all our relief and development work, and to support partners who are implementing prevention, care, support and treatment programmes, and by tackling the stigma and discrimination that surrounds HIV.