Book Review

By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

52 Ways to Create an AIDS-free World
Donald E. Messer
Fresh Air Books 08/09 Paperback $9.95
ISBN: 9781935205043

Donald E. Messer is executive director of the Center for the Church and Global AIDS and both President emeritus and Henry White Warren Professor Emeritus of Practical Theology at the Iliff School of Theology, Denver, Colorado. In this handy and accessible paperback, he suggests a way to respond to the AIDS crisis for each week of the year. AIDS is often described as the world's worst health crisis in 700 years. Current estimates indicate about 33.2 million people are HIV positive in the world; more than 25 million have died from the disease. Some 2.5 million are children. Worldwide nearly 50 percent of those infected are women; in Africa 58 percent are women.

Messer is convinced that actions must be taken "to halt the global spread of this virus through education, prevention, research, care, and treatment." He has added photos from his own collection, quotations, factual statements, and personal stories to his practical suggestions for creating an AIDS-free world. Here are a few of his points:

• Hate the Disease, Not the People Infected
• Overcome "AfrAIDS"
• Encourage Volunteer Counseling and Testing
• Speak Out Against Stigma
• Think Twice About Mixing Alcohol and Sex
• Promote Circumcision
• Vote for Candidates Who Care

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by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat