World Bank officials hope to contain the epidemic that has killed 6 million people and infected another 23 million worldwide.

"Failure to act now will cost millions of lives," warned Martha Ainsworth, one of the bank's senior economists and author of a report advocating such prevention programs. The bank has spent $800 million since 1986 on programs to prevent the spread of AIDS.

The impact of the disease has been devastating, especially in many poorer countries. According to the World Bank, in Burkina Fasso and Ivory Coast, two African countries, AIDS has decreased average life expectancies by 11 years. In Zimbabwe the disease has caused average life expectancy to plunge by a shocking 22 years.

In many such nations almost half of new AIDS cases are among women. In taking the lives of so many young adults, the disease is rapidly erasing gains in quality of life that took years to achieve.

Although few admit it, AIDS is largely preventable. It is spread primarily through illicit sexual contact and use of mind-altering drugs, activities that the Creator of mankind condemns. (Sources: The New York Times, Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:22; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 2 Timothy 3:1-5.)