BST's response to HIV/AIDS

Southern Africa faces a crisis of unimaginable proportions brought about by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. In South Africa, half the sexually active population are estimated to be infected in some parts of the country. HIV/AIDS has come to affect all our work in South Africa; and in recent years the Trust has expanded its response to the crisis.

What is the Trust doing to help?

Dealing with the HIV/AIDS situation has two important priorities:

Prevention 

Each year a new generation of young people reaches sexual maturity. They need to learn how to protect their health and their future in a high risk environment. The Trust supports the Themba HIV/AIDS Organisation which uses theatre to promote behaviour change amongst young people to stop the spread of HIV.

Palliative & Practical Care

As the existing level of infection increases more adults need care.  but the population of AIDS orphans grows at an alarming rate. Tsepho-Hope Centre and Lethi Themba Womens’ Project are running a range of projects for HIV/AIDS support.

We support HIV education and training work in East Rand communities, towns and villages in rural Mpumalanga and in Johannesburg townships. Our main partner, the Diocese of the Highveld, also has a highly effective Home Based Care programme, linked with provision of pre-schools for children affected and infected by HIV. Part of this work is funded by Comic Relief.

We currently focus on three main areas:

(please click on the blue links for further information):

Care for people living with HIV and dying from AIDS

Support for children & families who are affected by HIV or who are HIV+ themselves

Education to prevent the spread of HIV

We now also have a three-year plan to deal with the crisis.

Facts & Statististics

	HIV/AIDS is expected to result in a 50% death rate among people aged 15-30 in the next 5 years if the epidemic is not brought under control.
	It is estimated that 40% of children were living in child-headed households in 2005.
	Employers are investing in new health care management programmes for their employees, including anti-retroviral treatments, to offset the cost of skilled labour loss from HIV related death
	Four million people will have died from HIV related illness by 2008 on current projections.  Child mortality will reach infant mortality levels by 2005 (from 20 per 1000 to 60 per 1000).

Why is it Happening?

There are numerous social, political, cultural and economic factors affecting the HIV pandemic in the region:

	Low status of women and male dominance in sexual and economic relations
	Sexual abuse, particularly of young girls
	Historic and current separation of families resulting from apartheid and the migrant labour system
	Multiple sexual partners accepted or encouraged (often because of family separation, above)
	High use of sex workers due to single-sex quarters at the workplace
	Cultural resistance to the use of condoms.
	High rates of other STD’s compared with other countries
	High levels of poverty and other inequalities eg health access and education.
	Stigma about HIV is also a barrier to reaching the most vulnerable.