This year’s lecture provided a special focus around the specific challenges encountered in caring for children affected by HIV/AIDS. Please click the image below to download Father Michael’s presentation slides.

Father Michael outlined the scope of the problem, highlighting those most at risk, as well as bringing into stark relief the statistics which fully illustrated the sheer scale of HIV/AIDS among children. Furthermore, Fr. Michael also gave examples of how HIV/AIDS impacts not only physical health of the children affected, and also the broader implications of situations where, for example, children must care for HIV-infected parents. Ending with a rallying call, Fr. Michael made clear our obligation to assist those most vulnerable to the impacts of HIV/AIDS:

Every one of us needs to maintain an unflinching devotion to doing something about the havoc the AIDS epidemic is wreaking in the lives of children, so that we can help in creating a brighter future for millions of children.

Only in this way can we be true to the common humanity that binds us all together.