About Us
Issue History
The first ever AIDS cases were reported on June 5, 1981, in the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. While the US CDC scrambled to identify the source of the newly diagnosed illness—at the time 100% fatal—others around the globe began to take notice.
In 1982, the CDC adopted the word AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) to describe the new phenomenon and between 1981 and 1985 doctors around the world identified similar cases in Belgium and France, as well as Zaire, Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia.
The pathology was clear. Once infected, the patient’s immune system declined to a point where they could not fight off outside infections and they would die as a result. In Africa AIDS was known as “slim disease” because as the disease progressed individuals would lose body mass and become like living skeletons.
As global leaders began to understand the severity and widespread impact of AIDS, they began to respond.
In 1994, the United Nations launched the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), with goals of: leadership and advocacy for effective action on the pandemic; strategic information and technical support to guide AIDS efforts worldwide; tracking, monitoring and evaluation of the pandemic; civil society engagement; and mobilization of resources to support an effective response.
In 2000, based on data showing dramatic increases in AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, the United Nations launched the Global Fund to end AIDS, TB and malaria as public health threats.
In 2003, President George W. Bush—with enthusiastic bipartisan support–launched the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the largest commitment by any one nation to address a single disease in history.
Faith for Life: Standing for Life, Serving the World
Faith for Life is a coalition of believers—Christians, churches, missionaries, pastors, and faith‑based organizations—united by a biblical calling to care for “the least of these,” especially in the developing world. Rooted in Scripture, we exist to live out our responsibility to honor God by honoring all life: the unborn, the vulnerable, the marginalized, and the families who need support and hope.
Our mission is to strengthen and equip followers of Christ to value life, build strong marriages and families, and help people flourish physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Mission and Vision
Faith for Life (FFL) is a collation of faith-based organizations and individuals committed to life-saving interventions in the US and globally related to HIV/AIDS and broader health issues.
FFL mobilizes US faith-based organizations to sustain and expand the global HIV response efforts that promote:
- Prevention and detection of the disease, detection of new infections among pregnant and breastfeeding women
- Elimination of mother-to-child transmission
- HIV diagnosis followed up with immediate care and treatment
- Addressing obstacles for treatment for HIV+ children—the most neglected population in the pandemic.
A Global Resource for Those Who Serve
Faith for Life comes alongside individuals and organizations who feel called to serve beyond the borders of the United States. We provide practical insight, trusted information, and proven models that help believers engage in effective ministry around the world.
Our focus spans a wide range of needs, including:
- Education
- Health and medical care
- Agriculture and food security
- Entrepreneurship and economic development
- Clean water and sanitation
- HIV/AIDS
- Human Trafficking
- Maternal/Child Health
- Orphans & Vulnerable Children
- Refugee Resettlement
- Construction and community development
- And many other areas where the love of Christ can be demonstrated in action
Coalition Members & Supporting Organizations
- Christian Connections For International Health
- Children’s AIDS Fund International
- National Association of Evangelicals
A Bridge for Collaboration
We also serve as a resource for Christian media, government leaders, and global partners who seek to work alongside people of faith. By highlighting what’s working and connecting those who are called to serve, Faith for Life helps build partnerships that bring hope, dignity, and the Gospel to communities worldwide.
- He Intends Victory
- National Association of Evangelicals
Services
Faith for Life (FFL) provides data and resources about the HIV/AIDS pandemic from epidemiological data to articles on best practices. The goal is to highlight credible information that contributes to global efforts to end the pandemic.
In addition to website information, FFL hosts events; provides information and potential speakers for events you might want to have in your location that highlight the critical role the US has in helping secure the end to HIV/AIDS; and supports faith and community leaders who want to advocate for ending HIV/AIDS through local media engagement.