AIDS is one of the most urgent and serious threats to the progress of developing countries.

We cannot end global poverty without tackling the spread of the virus and reducing the rates of death and illness linked to HIV and AIDS. As well as campaigning internationally for access to AIDS treatment for all, ActionAid works with hundreds of communities in Africa, Asia and The Americas to stop the spread of HIV and defend the rights of people already infected with the virus.

33 million people worldwide are living with HIV and AIDS, 70% of them in Africa. However on current trends, Asia will overtake Africa by 2010. Emerging epidemics are also being projected in Latin America.

Child sponsorship and HIV/AIDS

Judith Atieno Basil (pictured right) from Ugisu in Kenya, was 12 years old when her parents died from AIDS-related illnesses in 1996.

Fortunately, she was able to turn to an HIV and AIDS support group ActionAid had helped set up for young people in her community. Made up of 16-34 year olds, ActionAid helped train the group to be HIV/AIDS counsellors, and to care for people with AIDS-related illnesses. The group educate other young people about HIV/AIDS, challenging the stigma that surrounds the virus and prevents people knowing how to protect themselves, get tested, or get treatment.

When you sponsor a child, you'll be providing the resources for real, long-term change. You'll get two letters a year from the child you sponsor, and updates from the country programme to tell you how the money you are spending is changing the community your child lives in.

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HIV and AIDS

Meet Mauledi Kataya (pictured right, 4 years old) whose mother passed away from HIV. He is looked after by his grandparents.

There is a high prevalence of HIV and AIDS in Malawi, with an estimated 11.9 per cent of the adult population living with HIV/AIDS. ActionAid supports groups in Malawi for people living with HIV and AIDS, people like Mauledi and his family, fighting to improve access to anti-retroviral drugs and the nutrition necessary for these drugs to be effective.

ActionAid believes that all people living with HIV and AIDS have a right to life and dignity. We work in partnership with poor and excluded people at a local, national and international level to defend this right.

ActionAid has a long history of working with communities to protect vulnerable groups from infection and to tackle stigma and discrimination. We work with HIV-positive people, often using innovative methods, to develop their skills in living positively and claiming their rights.

What are we doing about it?

Medicines known as anti-retroviral drugs have transformed HIV into a treatable condition. In rich countries these medicines enable people with HIV to live healthy, productive lives. However, for most people in poor countries they remain out of reach. The HIV/AIDS pandemic is sweeping away teachers, nurses, farmers, mothers and fathers. This leaves countries locked into a cycle of poverty.

Stepping Stones is a training programme that helps women and men explore their own sexual health needs, discuss the changes that they want, and find ways of making those changes. Parallel workshops take place for men and women - by working in separate groups they have a safe, supportive space for discussing intimate issues, using methods such as role-play to build on their own experiences and priorities.

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The effects of the AIDS crisis are felt most sharply by women. In Southern Africa more than 60% of those living with HIV are female. What’s more, women who become HIV positive are more likely to face violence and discrimination. Women and girls also shoulder the burden of caring for relatives suffering with AIDS-related illnesses and for looking after children whose parents have died.

In Ethiopia, ActionAid funds a dating service for HIV-positive listeners of a radio station, with the aim of ending the stigma associated with the virus and the social isolation of those who are HIV-positive.

• Sponsor a child to help support a community