[media-credit name=’BEN CLASSON/Herald photo’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]The University of Wisconsin welcomed a world famous speaker Monday night who offered an emotional message and chilling statistics on the HIV and AIDS pandemic in Africa.

Stephen Lewis spoke as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series, discussing the HIV and AIDS situation and how it relates to prevention, awareness and activism.

Lewis currently works for the United Nations as the Special Envoy for HIV and AIDS in Africa, spreading both public and political awareness.

According to Lewis, 25 million Africans have died from AIDS and the disease has 40 million "in its grip."

"[The] single most important struggle on the face of the planet is the struggle for gender equality," Lewis said, citing it for the rapid spread of AIDS in Africa.

Lewis shared the personal accounts of three rape victims in Africa, demonstrating what little power and control they have.

"What in heavens has happened to the moral anchor of the world?" Lewis asked.

Progress has been made to conquer the disease in Africa, Lewis said, but added there is much more work that needs to be done.

"It's made limited progress in limited areas," Lewis said. "There's more treatment, more response to children, additional resources and a considerable scientific effort to find a preventive technology, but it hasn't improved in some areas, particularly in response to women."

And Lewis added he has a personal passion for combating the disease.

"I've always believed that the reason we're on this planet is to search for social justice and equality," Lewis said. "It seems to me that it's important to subdue the virus to give people a prospect of a full, decent and equal life."

Lewis also praised UW for its facilities designed to improve global health, specifically the Health Science Facility and Center for Global Health.

"Clearly, this university has the prospect of making a very considerable impact if it decides to do so," Lewis said.

UW Associate Dean of International Studies Aili Tripp said Lewis is a strong and influential voice on the topic of AIDS in Africa.

"I think he's one of the most powerful speakers on the topic in the world," Tripp said. "We're very fortunate that we had him here to educate the UW community on these important issues that deal with HIV and AIDS, poverty and gender relations."

Lewis had a unique way of communicating the impact of illness in Africa, according to UW sophomore Jenny Koningisor.

"His personal anecdotes of situations we've encountered in Africa hit home a lot more than numbers that you hear and read in the news every day," Koningisor said.

UW freshman Julia Randall agreed, adding Lewis inspired her to taken action beyond the UW campus.

"He's so impassioned about something that is so often overlooked by the rest of the world," Randall said. "I just wanted to get out there and do something — more people need to hear this message and more people need to get involved."

The Distinguished Lecture Series concludes with geneticist and environmental activist David Suzuki March 20.