Threat to Africa's Future

AIDS. Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome. For most of us AIDS is something that affects the lives of others, a policy decision made by government officials. But for millions of people in Africa, AIDS is an integral part of their life. AIDS has taken away their sons and daughters. It has deprived them of mothers and fathers. AIDS has forced them to struggle to find the basic necessities of life while the disease extinguishes the lives of the ones they love. AIDS is real and it is a threat to their future.
30 million people in Africa are HIV-positive, most of them young men and women. (The Economist, 2003) 75% of the world total of those with HIV/AIDS live in Africa. (The Economist, 2002)

"A tragedy of unprecedented proportions is unfolding in Africa. AIDS today in Africa is claiming more lives than the sum total of all wars, famines and floods and the ravages of such deadly diseases as malaria." —Nelson Mandela

Even South Africa, seen by many as the leader and powerhouse of Africa, has not escaped the depredation that AIDS has brought to the continent.
		20% of South Africans aged 15-49 are infected with HIV. (UNAIDS Fact Sheet, 2002) For those aged 15-34 in South Africa, it is estimated that there will be 17 times as many deaths in the years 2010-2015 because of AIDS. (UNAIDS Fact Sheet, 2002) It is estimated that in five years, HIV prevalence in South Africa will be between 25-30%. (The Natal Witness, 2003) Because of AIDS, life expectancy for women will be 37 years of age in 2010. (Pretoria News, 2002)

The number of those in South Africa's workforce infected with HIV/AIDS will continue to rise, thus affecting the economic potential of the country.
Almost 30% of South Africa's workforce will be HIV-positive in 2005. (Pretoria News, 2002) South Africa's economically active population will be 35% lower in 2015 than it would have been if South Africans had remained AIDS-free. (Pretoria News, 2002) "The pandemic will take a dramatic toll on the most productive members of the population — those in their 20s, 30s and 40s." (MG-Levy Annual Report, 2002) "A recent study predicted that unless the government moved quickly to tackle AIDS, South Africa's economy would collapse within four generations." (The Economist, 2004)

As this generation of adults succumbs to AIDS, they leave behind those who are least able to care for themselves.
		"Among the many ways that [AIDS] is destabilizing the continent [of Africa], perhaps the most worrying is the exploding population of orphans." (The Economist, 2002) By 2010, there will be 42 million orphans in Africa, half due to AIDS. (The Economist, 2002) There are currently 1.2 million orphans in South Africa. By 2010, this number is expected to increase to 3.2 million. Of these orphans, 70% will be HIV-free. (UNAIDS and UNICEF, Pretoria News, 2006) There are 32,488 child-headed households in the province of Gauteng, South Africa, and there are 248,000 child-headed households in the entire country of South Africa (Census, Pretoria News, 2006)

AIDS will continue to wreak havoc on the continent of Africa, most notably by the lack of provision for its children. These orphans are growing up without hope and opportunity. Because of the reality of the situation and the biblical mandate to care for orphans, Bethesda Outreach Ministries exists to meet the needs of these children. Please continue to peruse our site and learn more about what Bethesda is doing to diminish the threat to Africa's future.