The numbers are going up every minute -- literally -- for the roster of people contracting HIV/AIDS. Globally, 11 people contract HIV every minute and, every minute, six die from AIDS.

Nearly 40 million worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS, according to the Adventist Development and Relief Agency's (ADRA) 2004 DVD "The Face of AIDS," and health experts believe it is likely to surpass the bubonic plague, the deadliest-ever pandemic, within the next 10 years.

ADRA's statistics also estimate that by 2010, 25 percent of the world's adult population will have contracted HIV. If that trend continues, half of the world will be infected by 2025. Currently, 70 percent of all HIV cases are in Sub-Saharan Africa, but the disease is spreading all over the globe, including developed countries. Some 143 million children under the age of 17 in developing countries have been orphaned because of AIDS.

Few can escape this pandemic. The disease acutely affects Seventh-day Adventists in Africa. With some 16,000 local churches and 4.5 million church members across the continent, pastors there are facing a tough situation.

"We baptize members and bury them two years later," says Geoffrey Mbwana, president of the Adventist church in the East-Central Africa region. "If this doesn't change, the church will stay young."

Because of the disease's widespread nature, Adventists are addressing a problem that, in the past, has been ignored because of the stigmatizing nature of HIV/AIDS.

"In most of our churches there is still silence and denial about HIV/AIDS promoted by fear and ignorance," says Dr. Oscar Giordano, executive director of the Adventist HIV/AIDS International Ministry office (AAIM) in Johannesburg, South Africa. Fearing stigmatization and discrimination, "our members do not dare to publicly disclose their status. The majority of our church members living with HIV and AIDS suffer and die secretly."

AAIM, a joint project of the church's world headquarters, the church in Africa, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), and U.S. based Loma Linda University and Medical Center (LLUMC), officially opened one year ago. Dr. Giordano and his wife, Eugenia Giordano, a medical doctor who also holds a master's of public health degree, and is the associate director of AAIM, have spent the past 12 months assessing the situation both within and outside the church, establishing pilot programs, collecting data, training church leadership, and organizing an action plan.

Getting each church member involved is a goal, Giordano says, and each Adventist church becomes a support center for the community through support groups organized by members willing to help in the HIV/AIDS crisis.

"My dream for the church is that in places such as Africa, every church should have a ... community support group for persons living with HIV/AIDS or affected by HIV/AIDS," says Dr. Allan Handysides, health ministries director for the Seventh-day Adventist world church.

"Many of our members want to do something to help but they just do not know how," Giordano explains. "We have great hope that through the comprehensive and integrated action plan our church members will be empowered to go into action within and outside the church and to reflect Jesus' love."

The five-phase action plan is a result of the experiences of several pilot programs in countries all over Africa, Giordano says. The five phases of the action plan include: 1) Church leadership sensitization at all church levels; 2) training of pastors and elders, with a strong emphasis on HIV/AIDS counselling and community action; 3) to go public on HIV/AIDS issues, speaking openly at churches, breaking the denial and silence, and to include HIV/AIDS segments in all church activities; 4) appointment and training of support group leaders; and 5)church mobilization to assist and care for the infected and affected. The action plan also includes programs and activities for educational and medical institutions.

This action plan is based on Jesus' method of approaching and interacting with people in need, Giordano explains.

To commemorate World AIDS Day on December 1, 2004, AAIM went to Swaziland, Giordano says. With 38.6 percent of the population infected with HIV or AIDS, Swaziland ranks number one in the world for the disease. "On that day AAIM's action plan reached the fifth phase in Swaziland with the training of 45 support group leaders," he says.

During 2004, Adventist church leadership in Africa went through HIV/AIDS sensitivity training, Giordano says. "A field-by-field, church-by-church, and member-by-member approach is necessary to really make a difference in fighting HIV/AIDS in our communities within and outside the church. Good relationships and connectedness with our children and youth -- at home, church and schools -- are very important in the prevention of risky behaviours that lead to HIV infection."

"Knowledge does not necessarily promote behaviour change. Knowledge is only the first step," says Debbie Herold, technical advisor for reproductive health for ADRA International. "Positive, mentoring relationships, and taking time leads to a willingness to listen and work toward behaviour change."

ADRA has been involved in many countries on a variety of intervention areas regarding HIV/AIDS, Herold says. "We are still fighting the battle of education and increasing knowledge on how AIDS truly is and is not spread, as well as working with communities to identify the best and most effective ways to address behaviour change."

She adds, "Consider the following: HIV/AIDS leads to poverty; poverty leads to hunger and illness; hunger and illness lead to attempts to acquire food and/or money; attempts to acquire food and/or money can lead to unhealthy behaviours; unhealthy behaviours can lead to HIV/AIDS. On that continuum, you could start at any point and end up with HIV/AIDS. ... ADRA focuses on the person as a whole. It also focuses on whole communities. We meet and work with people where they are."

Promoting close relationships with young people in churches is another way of attacking the disease, the Giordanos add. There's a need to call them by name and show interest.

"In order to keep the youth in the church, we need to change our attitude. They need non-judgmental [attitudes]. They are afraid the moment they disclose, people will point fingers," he says.

The Adventist Church has been active in fighting HIV/AIDS since the pandemic was publicly recognized. "However, all these activities [that the church has done] represent fragmented efforts which do not follow a master plan on HIV/AIDS for the whole church in the continent," Giordano says. "As a consequence of this, we find today many [local church regions] in Africa which are desperately [calling] for help in respect to this pandemic."

Still, Mbwana adds, "A number of people we baptized are already infected. They see hope in our message. We have to have no stigmatizing of people with AIDS; let them know that Jesus embraces them with His love."

"Jesus' method is the key element of AAIM's action plan," Giordano adds. "We firmly believe that this is the best approach to HIV and AIDS. Let's remember that 'love never fails.'" [Editor Wendi Rogers, ANN, for APD]