God is touching needy children through LifeRise orphan care.
Mother to Child
eradicate AIDS in children
The Need | LifeRise Strategy
Please see Orphans for our current active projects.
The Need
It is a sad tragedy that mothers may pass HIV to their infants in the womb, through delivery, or while breastfeeding. Most young children with AIDS are very sickly and die before their 3rd birthday unless they receive treatment. Although AIDS in children can almost be eradicated by treating pregnant mothers with antiretroviral drugs, in most developing countries the majority of women are not offered prevention.
Women who discover their HIV status through prenatal testing may find it difficult to disclose to their husbands for fear of blame, violence, or abandonment. Mothers may experience emotional pain and guilt when they give birth to an infant with AIDS. They are uncertain whether they should have additional children even though they may face pressure from their husbands and cultural expectations of fertility. Women may not have access to alternatives to breastfeeding. Those who wean their babies early to prevent transmission through breast milk may encounter stigma. Both infected mother and baby will have significant ongoing medical needs.
LifeRise Strategy
LifeRise AIDS Resources projects will prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission. Through voluntary testing and counseling of women of child-bearing potential and their partners, LifeRise will help couples work through disclosure, marriage, and pregnancy issues. Our projects will treat pregnant women and newborns with antiretroviral drugs, assist women to find alternatives to breastfeeding, and offer contraceptives to prevent future pregnancy. LifeRise will also support empowerment programs for women such as vocational training to enable them to make choices to benefit themselves and their children.
Through our projects, we hope to bring the counsel, strength, and encouragement of the Lord to women facing dilemmas of pregnancy and care for sick infants. And, we strive to do our part to eliminate the heartbreak of AIDS in children.
