STATEMENT FROM WORLD HELP VICE PRESIDENT NOEL YEATTS ON WORLD AIDS DAY, DECEMBER 1

Established by the World Health Organization in 1988, World AIDS Day is Thursday, Dec. 1

FOREST, Va. — Noel Yeatts, vice president of the Christian humanitarian organization World Help, released the following statement as World Help observes World AIDS Day:

“While there have been great achievements in medicine and technology over the past three-and-a-half decades, and the joint efforts of governments and philanthropists have greatly curbed the destructive path of this pandemic, HIV/AIDS remains one of history’s most devastating diseases. Still over 35 million people live with HIV, and every day 5,700 more are infected with the virus—400 of these are children.

“HIV/AIDS continues to steal more than a million lives every year, leaving hundreds of thousands orphaned in its wake. Oftentimes, those orphaned are not only left without a family, but also have to face the difficulties and stigma of carrying HIV themselves.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

“World Help remains committed to standing alongside men, women, and children who suffer from this illness. Since the peak of the AIDS pandemic, we have focused on providing safe havens for children orphaned by AIDS, knowing that hope and community are often just as essential to their survival and well-being as antiretroviral therapy. On World AIDS Day, we pray for them and their futures, we redouble our efforts to serve those struggling with this terrible disease, and we remember that our fight is not over until we live in an AIDS-free world.”

World Help has provided shelter, an education, and community to thousands of children orphaned by AIDS in Africa through the Homes of Hope initiative. A video featuring Noel Yeatts and young women from one of World Help’s Homes of Hope is available here.

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World Help is a Christian humanitarian organization committed to serving the physical and spiritual needs of people in impoverished communities around the world. Since its founding in 1991 by Vernon Brewer, World Help has delivered humanitarian aid to more than 70 million people in 76 countries. This year, the organization is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

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