Peter Fabian, ACET Chief Executive, has used his Christmas message to ACET teams around the world to call for continued international church mobilisation to fight HIV.

In a message sent to leaders of the ACET International Alliance, Mr Fabian said,

“Despite the fact we are spread across 23 countries I believe we are a team united in our love for God and by a common cause – to mobilise the church and to develop effective responses to HIV/AIDS”.

He went on to share some of the encouragements from ACET’s work, quoting a story from ACET Russia as an illustration of what is possible:

“The recent AIDS statistics shows that the number of new HIV infections is growing in Russia. At the same time we have indicators from several cites where ACET is working that there are no new HIV infections registered from the beginning of 2008 amongst teenagers. Doctors at AIDS centres are very surprised by it and they say it is probably because of successful AIDS prevention work.  This is a big change compared to the past”

HIV and AIDS is not, Peter acknowledges, something that churches find it easy to talk about and many ACET programmes work in difficult circumstances.  However, he says there is much to be thankful for a in a year that has seen ACET continue to reach more people than ever before.