From the Scriptures

"For God loved the world so much
that He gave His only Son,
so that everyone who believes in Him
may not die but have eternal life."
.

- St. John 3 : 16

Scripture reference St. John 3: 16

This verse is undoubtedly the most favorite verse with everybody. Many of us have learnt this verse as children in our Sunday Schools or as youth. In this simple verse is the essence of the gospel and it teaches us great things. It is no wonder that this verse has been described as "the gospel in a nutshell".

This verse teaches us:
· The very nature of God, which is love. God created everything so beautifully, the crown of His creation being humankind - He created us in His own image. It was perfect till sin came into the world because of man's rebellion. But God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son for our sake, to get us back to Himself. God our Father cannot be happy until all His wandering children come home.

· The extent of God's love. It was the "world" that He loved. Not just one particular nation or good people or even just the people who loved Him. God loved "the world". That includes everyone - all are included in this vast inclusive love of God. St. Augustine said, "God loves each one of us as if we were the only one of us to love".

· The statement that God so loved the world shows the object of God's love to be universal. The expression of that love is sacrificial. The purpose of it is eternal life for believers, who otherwise perish.

· God's initiation of salvation. "Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life". This tells us that the initiation in all salvation lies with God. It was God who initiated it - 'He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…"

· God sent us His Son. He sent him because He loved us and that we believing in Him might have everlasting life. At the back of everything is the love of God. The work of Christ finds its origin in the Father's love - this is also the reason behind God's self-revelation. His love is not only His character or attitude but He acted in history. In Christ He gave us His only Son, the very image of Himself.

· But His love is also reciprocal - only those may enjoy it that respond by receiving God's gift - that is, in receiving Christ into their hearts. And when they receive Him, their response should inevitably be one of giving back their love to God.

This Christmas-tide, let us bring to mind this vast love of God, who came down to save us and get us back to Himself through His Son Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

May we open our hearts to receive Him and thank God for His priceless Gift?

Here are two verses from a well-known Carol written by Christina Rossetti:
(1830-94)

"Love came down at Christmas, Love all lovely, Love Divine;
Love was born at Christmas, star and angels gave the sign.

Love shall be our token, Love be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and all men, Love for plea and gift and sign."

WISHING YOU ALL A BLESSED CHRISTMAS

HIV in India

India has the largest population of HIV patients after South Africa

5.13 million people in India are HIV infected.

The prevalence of adults with HIV ranges from 0.4 to 1.3 percent in the general population

Number of people with symptomatic AIDS is 111608.

Number of people needing HAARTis 770,000.

Number of people actually receiving HAART is 35,000.

HIV in Karnataka

Karnataka is one of the high prevalence states in the country.

The prevalence of HIV in women of childbearing age is 1.25 percent.

Karnataka has 2896 known cases of AIDS.

Global burden of HIV

Total number of people living with HIV is 40.3 million.

5 million new cases have been added in 2005.

More than 3 million people have died of AIDS this year
500,000 of these are children.

3 by 5 initiative

¨ Programme launched by WHO to provide HAART to 3 million people in the developing countries by the end of 2005.

770,000 people in India need HAART.

35,000 people were receiving HAART by the end of April 2005

The government of India proposes to give HAART to 100,000 people by the end of 2005.

World AIDS Day 2005 is being observed on the 1st of December all over the world. Started in the year 1988 its main aim is to increase AIDS awareness, and to fight prejudices against AIDS victims. World AIDS Day is important in reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many things still to be done. The theme for this year's World AIDS Day is "Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise"."Keep the Promise" is an appeal to governments and policy makers to ensure that they meet the targets they have agreed to in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

The Targets:

All the member countries of the UNO had agreed to meet the targets when they signed the UNGASS Declaration in 2001 and the 3 by 5 Initiative in 2003. The following are the targets agreed upon

• Reduce HIV prevalence by 25% among men and women aged 15-24 years
• Ensure that at least 90% of young people aged 15 to 24 have access to the information, education and services necessary to develop the life skills required to reduce their vulnerability to HIV infection.
• Reduce the proportion of infants infected with HIV by 20% by increasing access to services, which prevent mother-to-child transmission
• The target of 3 by 5 Initiative is to provide Highly Active Anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) to 3 million people living with HIV infection in the developing countries by the end of 2005. HAART is not needed to all patients who are HIV positive but becomes essential when their immunity becomes compromised. Progression of the disease becomes considerably slow when the patient is put on HAART.

The situation in India vis-à-vis the 3 by 5 initiative.

• The total number of people needing HAART in India was estimated to be 710,000 in 2003.
• The 3 by 5 Initiative fixed a target of 355,000 people to be on HAART by the end of 2005 (50 percent of the people who actually needed it)
• By April 2005 it had been estimated that 35,000 people were receiving HAART and the Government of India has fixed a target of 100,000 people by the end of 2005. How far the government is able to do this needs to be seen. In the meantime the number of people that need HAART has climbed up to 770,000 from 710,000

The Global Burden of HIV/AIDS

UNAIDS/WHO report on AIDS released on 21st Nov 2005 in India gives reason for guarded optimism in this otherwise gloomy scenario. In certain countries like Kenya, Zimbabwe and the Caribbean countries the HIV infection rates have actually come down due to changes in the behavior patterns like increased use of condoms, delay of first sexual experience and fewer sexual partners. This offers hope that the spread of the disease can be controlled with changes in the people's behavior. However in most of the other countries including ours the rate of infection has gone up with an additional five million new cases in 2005. The present estimate stands at 40.3 million people living with HIV infection. More than three million people have died due to HIV related infections this year out of which 5 lakhs have been children.

Conclusion

Though the overall number of people living with the infection has gone up this year there is hope that the infection can be controlled with changes in people's behavior as evidenced in the Caribbean countries. There is an urgent need to spread HIV awareness among the younger people and to make them realize the dangers of premarital and extramarital sex and the importance and benefits of fidelity to their spouses. There is need for the government to implement the 3 by 5 initiative on a war footing in order to give HAART to all the people who need it.

THE RED RIBBON

The red ribbon is the global symbol for solidarity with people living with HIV/AIDS and it unites all people in the common fight against this disease.

The Red Ribbon is

• Red as a symbol of passion and tolerance towards those affected
• Red representing the pain caused by the many people that died of AIDS
• Red like the anger about the helplessness by which we are facing a disease for which there is yet no chances of cure.
• Red as a sign of warning not to carelessly ignore one of the biggest problems of our time