HIV / AIDS Ministry:

What is HIV/AIDS?

 

The word HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and AIDS stands for Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome.  HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. AIDS is the final and most severe stage of HIV infection. HIV is a serious illness that attacks the immune system.  Right now, there is no diagnosing treatments invented for AIDS, but with advances in AIDS drug therapies, a person may live with HIV for 10 or more years before reaching full-blown AIDS.

AIDS is a disease in which the body’s natural immune system breaks down, leaving it unable to fight off severe diseases like cancers, common diseases like fever and diarrhoea and most importantly simple infections also.  And, the medicines needed to cure these normal diseases will be of high dosage, since the virus will keep on blocking the immune system, which is being produced against the disease. Since it is very dangerous to live with, it is really important to get it checked at initial stage itself, so that the AIDS drug therapies would help one, to live some extended amount of their life span.

The people have to take 20 to 30 pills per day, at careful and regular intervals. Also, individuals taking these HIV/AIDS treatment, often experience a range of short-term and/or ongoing side effects from the drugs. Testing positive for HIV is not an immediate death sentence. Many HIV-positive people live healthy, productive lives for 10 or more years before developing full-blown AIDS. Although there is no cure for or vaccine to prevent HIV infection or AIDS, there are new advances in treatment. You can be infected with HIV and not know it. Years can go by before you have any symptoms, yet you are still able to pass HIV on to others.

 

How it spread?

The virus is most often spread by an infected person during unprotected sex between two people, or by sharing unclean needles to inject drugs or for tattoos and piercings. An infected mother can also give the virus to her child during pregnancy, childbirth or breast feeding. The disease can only be spread through direct contact with the following infected bodily fluids: blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk.

It is important to note that HIV infection is preventable and is not transmitted through casual contacts. Eating at hotels, getting tools or food from the infected people, pets or insect bites donating blood, using public restrooms, drinking fountains or swimming pools, an infected person sitting next to you, sharing telephones, computers or gym equipment, shaking hands, hugging or kissing will not transmit HIV infection.

Anyone can get HIV. It’s up to what you do, but not who you are, that puts you at risk for getting HIV. Once you understand how HIV is spread, you can learn to lower your risk of being exposed.

 

AIDS in Asia:

Asia

The rate of HIV prevalence is lower in Asia compare to other regions, the second largest grouping of people living with HIV is Asian population.  In South and South – East Asia, there are around 2,70,000 (2,30,000-3,40,000) new HIV infections in 2010  was about 40% which is less than 1996. The second largest population in the world and the country with largest number of people living with HIV is India, which has 56% of HIV infections. The occurrence of HIV among the populations is at higher risk of infection like sex workers, people who inject drugs and men who have sex with men is high in  Asian countries and over time, the virus is spreading to other human being. The overall trends in the region between and within the countries hide important variations in the epidemics. In many Asian countries, national epidemics are concentrated in relatively few provinces. In China, five provinces account for 53% of the people living with HIV1, while a disproportionately large share of Indonesia’s burden is found in its Papua and West Papua provinces.

AIDS in Tamil Nadu

With a population of over 66 million, Tamil Nadu is the seventh most populous state in India. Between 1995 and 1997 HIV prevalence among pregnant women tripled to around 1.25%. The State Government subsequently set up an AIDS society, which aimed to focus on HIV prevention initiatives. A safe-sex campaign was launched, encouraging condom use and attacking the stigma and ignorance associated with HIV. Between 1996 and 1998 a survey showed that the number of men reporting high-risk sexual behaviour had decreased. In 2007 HIV prevalence among antenatal clinic attendees was 0.25%.37 HIV prevalence among injecting drug users was 16.8%, third highest out of all reporting states. HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men and female sex workers was 6.6% and 4.68% respectively.

Why HIV / AIDS ministry?

                In India there are lots of Ministries, Pastors, Missionaries, Evangelist and Churches coming forward to do God’s ministries among children, youth, church, and literate etc., No one is willing and wanting to go among HIV infected people due to lack of awareness. At this risk time of last minutes, Lion of Judah Ministries heard the call of God, the vision through Isaiah 61: 1-3 for preaching Gospel of Christ among HIV / AIDS affected people.

 

Importance of HIV / AIDS ministry:

                HIV infected people are in the edge of their life span. Many of them are counting their days. They are facing many difficult situations, lost their peace, hopelessness, and it is all because of rejection from their family members and the society. So, comforting them with humanity, treating them with love, giving them hope, making them to improve their self confidence is very much needed.

 

Among Youth:

Worldwide more than 34 million people now live with HIV/AIDS and 3.4 million of them are under the age of 15.

We felt and understood that there are very few people to meet these HIV/AIDS infected people since they will die at any moment. Many become rude, rough and carelessly handled by the miscreants of the society. They make use of them in the business of prostitution, sex abuse, terrorist activities and prohibited practices of drugs smuggling. Due to bad and evil companionship they become addicted to unwanted practices; cinema plays a vital role in drifting these youths. We go in search of these youths, counsel them, convey them with Christ’s love and try to bring them to the cross.
To reach the unreached Teenagers and Youths afflicted by poverty, violence, drugs, crime, and hopelessness with the gospel of Jesus Christ and to train, disciple and equip them in the word of God through consistent and systematic teaching and thereby prepare them to meet the coming King!

 

Among Family:

We do meet the people in their houses, we provide some fruits and nutritious things, we preach word of God, and we console them during their troubling situations. We show the God’s Love, Protection, Console, Joy of the salvation, Freedom and etc to make them understand the Eternal life which is God created for their Children. They feel very comfortable with us, like they are their family members, they share their own problems, their health conditions etc., We teach them to pray by themselves, go to church regularly and most importantly to trust Jesus Christ in their all situation. Many of the patients accept Jesus Christ in their life and they have faith in GOD and committed to walk in the way of God and they are going to nearby churches regularly.

God work and make transformation among into the heart of HIV/AIDS infected persons. They change their life from drugs, smoking, unwanted relationship and etc... We believe that surly we can win this soul and prepared them to meet our coming king Jesus.

 

PROBLEMS OF HIV INFECTED PEOPLE:

They are:

·         broken heart

·         rejected and ignored

·         suffering every minute

·         financially very week

·         No one is there to Love & Care

PLHA MENTALITY:

·         I Can’t

·         No one for me

·         No one care me

·         I have big disease

·         I was cheated

·         I am a rejected person

·         I am Useless

·         No one can relieve me from my bondage

HIV PROJECT ACTIVITIES

·         Gospel With Help Camp

·         Education Sponsoring (Life Transformation Camp)

·         Home Based Care

·         Intercession Prayer

·         Caring for infected Children

·         Small Business Development (Tailoring Machine, Goats, Handmade works, Small Shops in their house)

·          Meet their Practical Needs.

·         Creating awareness of this dieses among Churches, Schools, Colleges, Social