HIV and AIDS is widespread throughout Africa.

In Ethiopia, approximately 1 in 4 people are infected.

Approximately 1 in 10  children are orphaned because both parents have died from the disease.

Many more children are left caring for sick parents, relatives, or grow sick themselves.

Despite what many may think, this is not all about sexual promiscuity. Hospitals are few and far between. Those in existence are poorly equipt and are often forced to reuse instruments on many different patients without them being sterilised. Needles for injections, for example. This leads to transmssion of the virus without anyone knowing, until a time later, when they begin to get sick.

Of course, sex plays it part too. In Africa, you can't just pop to the local chemist. Contraception is not commonplace. Even if contraception were readily available, impoverished people could not afford to pay for it. As we all know, it only takes one time to transmit the disease.

To help combat these issues, LUCIA and it's partners help to run family planning and sexual health programmes.