The silent disaster: HIV and AIDS

Type of activity: Questions that may be used for group discussion, as an individual worksheet, or as the basis for writing assignments.

Grade level: Middle school and high school

Setting: Can be adapted for use in public schools, Christian schools, other private schools, homeschools, and other groups

Procedure: Ask the following questions:

The following lesson plan focuses on HIV and AIDS in the African country of Mozambique. Click here for a map.

HIV and AIDS are examples of epidemic disasters. For comprehensive information about HIV and AIDS, see the United Nations report about AIDS.

THE FACTS (see AIDS quiz)

1.  Why is the crisis of HIV and AIDS the most devastating disaster in our world today?

• AIDS has killed more than 30 million people—equal to 10 percent of the population of the U.S. or nearly 10 times the population of Oregon.

2.  Why is it called a “silent disaster”? 

3.  What is HIV?

• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus in the “retrovirus” family. HIV can lead to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

4.  What is AIDS?

• Acquired Immunedeficiency Syndrome, an advanced stage of HIV, where the immune system is unable to protect the body from infections.

5.  How do people contract HIV?

6.  Do all people who have HIV also have AIDS?

7.  Is AIDS curable?

• There is no cure for AIDS.

8.  Does everyone who has AIDS die from the condition?

The good news: Medicines are available to

• Delay the onset of HIV to AIDS (anti-retroviral therapy)
• Treat illnesses associated with AIDS
• Extend the life of those who have AIDS

More good news:

• Although nearly 2,000 newborn babies a day become infected with HIV from their mothers during pregnancy, at birth, and in some cases through breast milk, these forms of mother-to-child transmission can be prevented through medicine.

The bad news:

• Most medicines are expensive and are not adequately available to the very poor. In many developing countries, 1 out of 6 people who need lifesaving AIDS drugs cannot afford them. The cheapest drugs cost $1 a day, but many of the people who need them earn less than $1 a day.

THE IMPACT 

9.  How many infants are infected by HIV every day?

• The paper dolls in the exhibit illustrate that every day 2000 infants are newly infected with HIV.
• How does that number compare to the student body size in your school?

10.  How many children have lost one or both parents to AIDS?

• More than 15,000,000 children around the world have become orphans because of AIDS. They often have to drop out of school to work and/or to care for younger children. This lowers the education level and earning potential for families for future generations.
• There are currently around 500,000 AIDS orphans in Mozambique alone. UNICEF predicts that by 2010, that number will be close to 1 million.

11.  In the past 30 minutes, more than 300 people have become infected with HIV. Compare that number to the size of your student body.

12.  REAL. HOPE. How is Medical Teams International helping people affected by HIV and AIDS? (Read a comprehensive review of our work on HIV and AIDS).

• We support education, training and medical intervention in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
• We provide training for healthcare providers to diagnose and treat patients as well as to develop culturally appropriate educational curricula.
• We implement youth-focused AIDS prevention education programs that will lead to positive behavior changes.
• We enable communities and churches to provide home-based care to people living with HIV and AIDS. We offer compassion, medical referral, counseling, spiritual encouragement and socio-economic support.

14.  Is this disaster preventable? How?

THOUGHTS FROM THE BIBLE

16.  What do the following Bible passages say about our role on behalf of people who are in distress?

“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.”—James 1:27

“God . . . gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. . . . The Lord lifts the burdens of those bent beneath their loads.”—Psalm 146:7-9

“Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will listen to their cries and comfort them.”—Psalm 10:17-18

“I was sick and you looked after me…. Whatever you did for one of the least of these..., you did for me.”—Matthew 25:35-40

I’m only one person, but I can make a difference

Like the ripples in a pond, I can make a difference that will touch people around the world.

Think about it

1.  How can you make a difference by giving, acting, praying, or volunteering?

2.  If you had $100, how would you use it to help people affected by HIV and AIDS?