The HIV/AIDS epidemic has been called a threat to an entire civilization. Nations, communities, and families have lost the leaders of today and tomorrow. Healthcare systems have been overwhelmed, economies undermined, and schools robbed of both students and teachers.

The Statistics

Every day, 6,800 people are newly infected with HIV and 5,700 die from AIDS. More than 15 million children have lost one or both parents to AIDS. AIDS has killed at least 25 million people worldwide, and another 33 million are living with AIDS or HIV infection. In the late ‘90s Samaritan’s Purse felt strongly that the Church should not be silent on the issue of HIV/AIDS, but rather it should lead the response with action and compassion. In 2002, we hosted Prescription for Hope™, an unprecedented global Christian conference on HIV/AIDS, in Washington, D.C. More than 800 Christians from a variety of countries and denominations attended.

“The church of Jesus Christ needs to provide the leadership in this crisis,” said Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham, one of the event’s speakers. “We cannot face this crisis without God’s help.”

PBS’ Frontline described the event as the moment when Christians first got involved in the response to HIV/AIDS. Foreign Affairs Magazine said American AIDS policy changed dramatically when Christians made the cause their own.

Through Prescription for Hope™, Samaritan’s Purse is empowering local Christians with the knowledge and resources to change their communities. It is a comprehensive HIV/AIDS program designed to strengthen the international Christian response; mobilize private, church, corporate, and government resources; and develop a unified and multi-faceted plan to respond to the epidemic.

The first Prescription for Hope™ workshop was held in 2003 in Uganda with 164 people in attendance. Since then, Samaritan’s Purse has trained and equipped more than 4,200 church and community leaders in 18 countries.

Our MET (mobilizing, equipping, and training) program has helped lead the effort to prevent new HIV infections among youth living in Mozambique, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. We have started highly-respected programs that prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and encourage voluntary counseling and testing. Most importantly, we bring the message of hope found in Jesus Christ to those affected by this disease.