Health

 

AIDS


AIDS is a chronic, life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). By damaging your immune system, HIV interferes with your body's ability to fight off viruses, bacteria and fungi that cause disease. HIV makes you more susceptible to certain types of cancers and to infections your body would normally resist, such as pneumonia and meningitis. The virus and the infection itself are known as HIV. "Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)" is the name given to the later stages of an HIV infection.

An estimated 39.5 million people have HIV worldwide. And though the spread of the virus has slowed in some countries, it has escalated or remained unchanged in others. The best hope for stemming the spread of HIV lies in prevention, treatment and education.  (source Mayo Clinic)

African HIV/AIDS epidemic:

  • Sub-Saharan Africa carries the highest burden of HIV infections and HIV/AIDS related mortality in the world.
  • 67% of the worlds Aids cases are in sub-Saharan Africa. The Region also accounts for 75% of global AIDS deaths.
  • Approximately 9.1 million people were newly infected with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa in 2007.
  • Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region in the world where women are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic in comparison with men, with the proportion hovering around 60%
  • 66% of children born to HIV/AIDS infected mothers are born HIV positive.

Source WHO
What you can do?

Give - A one-time $25 donation will . . .

  • Provide a years supply of the antibiotic cotrimoxazole to extend the life of 4 HIV children or mothers and help to prevent malaria and secondary infections or

Print and distribute 25 training manuals on HIV prevention and care to health care workers

 

Malaria


Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a parasite that's transmitted by mosquitoes. The illness results in recurrent attacks of chills and fever, and it can be deadly.

Malaria has been virtually eradicated in countries with temperate climates, but it's still prevalent in tropical and subtropical countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America and Central America. Malaria remains one of the world's leading infectious killers, particularly of children in sub-Saharan Africa. (source Mayo Clinic)
Some facts:

  • Half of the world's population is at risk of malaria.
  • An estimated 243 million malaria cases occurred in 2008.
  • An estimated 863 000 malaria deaths occurred in 2008; 767 000 of those (89%) occurred in Africa.

 

What You can do:

Give - Purchase a mosquito net for villages in Rwanda. You can save lives. The price tag? $10 buys a mosquito that will last for years.

Go - Expedition: East Africa is an annual expedition that will change your life forever and will save lives!

 

Clean Water

 

Poor water quality continues to pose a major threat to human health. Nearly half of the word's population does not have access to safe drinking water.

  • Diarrhea is responsible for the deaths of 1.8 million people every year (5000 people per day). Most of that is because of unsafe drinking water.
  • The majority of unsafe water deaths are mostly concentrated on children in developing countries.
  • A significant amount of disease could be prevented especially in developing countries through better access to safe water supply, adequate sanitation facilities and education about better hygiene practices. (source: WHO)

 

What you can do:

Give - $50 will pay for a team to build a water filtration system for village in Rwanda. This filter built of rock, gravel and concrete uses organic processes to filter water for an entire village for decades. This will save lives, primarily of children.

Go - Be part of a team that builds a water filtration system during and expedition to East Africa.

 

Starvation/malnutrition

 

Starvation is the world's #1 killer. Starvation is the world's most preventable disease. No one should starve to death - ever.

Starvation is a complicated problem. Malnutrition (which leads to  over 15 other life threatening diseases including heart disease, chronic diarrhea  and Anemia) is equally life-threatening. Over half of all deaths of children are related to malnutrition.
Some important facts:

  • On the average, 1 person dies every second as a result, either directly or indirectly, of hunger - 4000 every hour - 100 000 each day - 36 million each year - 58 % of all deaths (2001-2004 estimates).[10][11][12]
  • On the average, 1 child dies every 5 seconds as a result, either directly or indirectly, of hunger - 700 every hour - 16 000 each day - 6 million each year - 60% of all child deaths (2002-2008 estimates).[13][14][15][16][17]

 

What can you do?

Give - For $35/month, you (and maybe a few friends) can sponsor a child from the slums of Guayaquil, Ecuador to receive not only healthy meals, but an education! Education is essential to a healthy life and you can do it all for $1.16/ day!

Go - Go and meet your child. You can be part of a team who builds a classroom and feeds thousands of children each day in Ecuador.