3000 copies of 'AIDS Action', the newly revised ACET handbook, were handed to delegates at the Lausanne Conference in Cape Town recently. Author, Dr Patrick Dixon, announced, 'We have sought to place the book in the hands of every person attending, to help church leaders here and to increase the profile of AIDS .'
The new book is a completely updated revision of the highly successful 'AIDS & You', which reached a third of a million copies in 30 different languages. The Director General of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, has written the foreword, recognising the vital role of faith-based organisations and valuable insights gained from ACET's long experience of working with HIV and AIDS. It contains 20 years of best practice and lessons learned from around the world in the 20 countries where ACET works.
'AIDS Action' has already been translated into French, Spanish and Kiswahili and copies of these editions were in great demand. Russian and Hausa editions are being printed currently and translations into Hindi, Telugu, Nepalese and Manipuri are underway.
ACET Slovakia presents youth petition on HIV to the EU as part of national campaign
ACET Slovakia is spearheading a campaign encouraging young European Union citizens to join the fight against HIV and AIDS.
ACET, in partnership with other European charities working in the field of HIV and AIDS, has launched the ACT Positive petition which can be signed on line here
Over 19,000 people from 197 countries gathered in Vienna last month for the International AIDS conference to review ways to overcome the ever present challenge of the HIV epidemic. With over 33 million people living with HIV worldwide the conference addressed key issues such as human rights and maternal health and HIV.
Peter Fabian, CEO of ACET UK, has just returned from a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he saw the potential of the ACET teams to mobilise thousands of church volunteers.
EU partners with ACET Czech Republic to reach nation's youth with sexual health and drugs prevention
ACET Czech Republic has secured a major new EU grant, which will enable it to reach thousands more young people with the 'Facts for Life' HIV prevention message.
1000s of free AIDS books to help train project workers in Nigeria
ACET Nigeria has formed a new partnership which will see thousands more AIDS training books reaching leaders and communities throughout the country - part of ACET's free distribution of over 350,000 books in 23 languages, to help mobilise communities and nations.
Peter Fabian, CEO of ACET UK, gives a personal account of a recent trip to Nigeria:
"Although HIV works as an unseen, silent assassin killing mothers and fathers, creating orphans and destroying communities, it can be stopped. What I saw and heard in Nigeria gives me hope.
My hope is based on what I saw communities and churches doing, with support from ACET. We can change history together. AIDS can be stopped. It must be stopped."
Capetown 2010 Congress (Lausanne) calls global churches to bring practical hope, love and care for those with AIDS
The Lausanne Conference has affirmed the need for HIV and AIDS to be high on the agenda of the church in its task of World Evangelism.
Joel Edwards, Director of the UK's Micah Challenge, said 'HIV and AIDS is one of the biggest challenges the church faces. We have made a good start with organisations like ACET and Tearfund leading the way, but we still have a long way to go.'
In an evening devoted to the challenge to the church of HIV and AIDS, delegates heard Rev Christo Grayling director of INERELA, an organisation supporting Christian leaders who are living with HIV. Sharing his testimony of living with HIV since 1987, he said to the applause of the audience, 'As a Christian I still had hope, even though I was tested HIV positive. Now I have an HIV negative wife and two HIV free children. I want to shout it out that the church must be at the forfront of responding to HIV.'
A Christian tribal princess from Zambia, herself HIV positive, added, 'This message is relevant. There is hope for those with HIV in Jesus Christ. HIV infected people are calling for the church to live what it preaches.'
ACET Ukraine - AIDS, HIV, human trafficking
Rev. Alan Bain, Vice Chair of the Christian HIV/AIDS Alliance reports on his visit to ACET's work in Odessa in the Ukraine in November.
Think of HIV and AIDS and we immediately imagine an African problem. However, recent figures have painted an alarming picture of the spread of the infection in the UK. With nearly 80,000 confirmed HIV cases in this country and over one quarter unaware of their infection...
Londoner Ben Popplestone recently undertook one of the greatest challenges of his life: to reach the summit of Mont Blanc, Europe's highest mountain. The 35 year old raised more than £1,500 for ACET.
Here he tells the story in his own words.....
I had undertaken the challenge to raise funds for ACET (Aids Care Education and Training), a charity that was founded 23 years ago and now has teams in many countries across the world. ACET works at grass roots across the world to provide education and a compassionate response to the global AIDS/HIV epidemic.
I've just returned from a visit to ACET Nigeria. My head and heart are exploding with all that God is doing through the team there! I'd like to tell you about it and also about a special matching grant from “The Big Give”, which means your gift will be doubled, if we can raise £10,000 online between 6th and 10th December.
Although HIV works as an unseen, silent assassin killing mothers and fathers, creating orphans and destroying communities, it can be stopped. What I saw and heard in Nigeria gives me hope. My hope is based on what I saw churches doing, with support from ACET.
Together we can put an end to the destruction HIV and AIDS leave in their wake.
Zimbabwe - from country in crisis to personal help
Recent news from ACET Zimbabwe paints a mixed picture. For those with money there is now food in the shops and fuel in the garages. Schools are open and the national unity government is functioning.
The Department of Health and Education has requested ACET Eastern Cape to replicate its programmes throughout the province.
Over the last year ACET Eastern Cape has reached over 45,000 young people in primary and secondary schools with culturally sensitive and locally relevant HIV and AIDS education and training. The training programmes have been so well received by schools (with staff noting significant behaviour change amongst their students, and better attendance levels by girls), that ACET has been requested by the local Departments of Health and Education to replicate its programmes in new schools and communities in the Eastern Cape. This is a significant achievement for ACET Eastern Cape, and is testament to the continually refined and adapted content of ACET International’s HIV and AIDS training programmes.
Russia - seeing huge reduction in HIV infection rate
The ACET Russia programme has seen some exciting developments over the last year with HIV infection rates markedly reducing amongst the target groups in receipt of ACET’s HIV and AIDS education and training. ACET’s work in Russia takes place in Togliatti, home to the highest HIV prevalence rates in the country. As of March 2011, there were 16,177 people registered as living with HIV (population c. 700.000), and the city was reporting between 70 and 100 new HIV infections a month. Among 20 year old men, every 1 in 20 is currently HIV positive.
New Wine supports orphans in Zimbabwe, prevention in Nigeria
Last year New Wine summer conferences gave ACET over £23,000 which made a huge difference in AIDS prevention, home care, and orphan support in Africa. - March 2009
ACET youth lobby the European Union to keep its promises on AIDS action - especially by assisting those in poorest nations
Young people from across Europe came together in November in an ACT Positive campaign to lobby the European Union to keep its promises on HIV and AIDS. (the video is in several languages)
Vivian's story - how he and his wife are now able to care for their family
Vivian and his wife were able to access antiviral treatment after being helped to get tested for HIV by ACET. Now they are well enough to work and support their family.
Truth about AIDS in Africa: millions of orphans, terrible fear, stigma, lack of treatment, local corruption - yet we can stop AIDS now. Eywitness account by ACET Founder.
Patrick Dixon, Founder of ACET in 1988, and Chairman of ACET International Alliance, reflects on his recent visits to ACET projects in Africa, which have changed his life. "I have travelled in 54 nations over the years. Just over the last weeks I have seen and heard things I cannot talk about. If I do, ACET and other programmes could be closed by governments and I could even – with their project leaders – end up in prison. If I told you the actual stories, project leaders would lose trust with the people they are trying to help, and people who recognised themselves in these words would lie awake at night fearing they had been publicly exposed...."
3000 copies of 'AIDS Action', the newly revised ACET handbook, were handed to delegates at the Lausanne Conference in Cape Town recently. Author, Dr Patrick Dixon, announced, 'We have sought to place the book in the hands of every person attending, to help church leaders here and to increase the profile of AIDS .'
