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HIV/AIDS
Religion and Development Database
Publications (84)
The ferocity of the HIV/AIDS pandemic has drawn many religious leaders and groups—by insight, compassion, or the practical realities around them—to respond. Explore the international and national efforts of organizations and programs in this critical issue area.
This UNAIDS document provides guidance for increasing partnerships with civil societies, including people living with HIV. The document calls for meaningful engagement with civil societies, including faith-based organizations, in all areas of UN Joint Program on HIV/AIDS’s work to meet the strategic targets and HIV/AIDS elimination commitments agreed in the 2011 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS. The objectives of this guidance document is to assist key stakeholders and decision-makers to...
This Malaysian AIDS Council report calls for greater involvement of religious authorities to enhance the roles played by the public health sector and grassroots organizations in addressing issues faced by people living with HIV in Malaysia. Recognizing the low level of engagement of Islamic religious authorities in community-based responses to HIV and AIDS, this report aims to educate religious leaders and increase political leadership among Muslim leaders to address issues related to...
This Overseas Development Institute’s policy brief draws on lessons learned in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Kenya to suggest that greater collaboration between humanitarian actors and faith-based communities (FBCs) needs to occur in order to build emergency capcity on HIV services. The briefing argues that since FBCs have greater access to local people in a crisis and continue to provide HIV-related services during crisis, humanitarian agencies need to help FBCs build up...
This position paper comments on the role of church and family in strengthening responses to the AIDS epidemic. It was produced by the Pan-African Christian AIDS Network after the Christian pre-ICASA (International Conference on AIDS in Africa) symposium, which took place in Abuja, Nigeria at the Sharon Ultimate Hotel during December 2005, with participants from 37 countries. Several groups representing national and local churches, church-based organizations, private voluntary organizations,...
A Message from the Dalai Lama to attendees of the Summit of High Level Religious Leaders on HIV/AIDS
April 2, 2010
After the March 2010 Summit of High Level Religious Leaders convened in the Netherlands to address responses to HIV and AIDS, His Holiness the14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, released this open letter praising the faith leaders who attended. The message of the Dalai Lama urges faith leaders to avoid complacency and continue their collective action on the still-prevalent conditions of HIV/AIDS infection. He appeals to compassion and understanding as important aspects of healing, calling human...
This publication reports on the Global Fund's partnership with faith-based organizations (FBOs) in the fight against HIV/AIDS and malaria. The Global Fund recognizes the important role FBOs play in providing rural health care and orphan care in the developing world, especially in serving the poorest and most vulnerable populations. Therefore, the Global Fund has made FBOs a priority for receiving grants and funding for projects. This report documents the work that partnering FBOs have...
The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance's HIV and AIDS campaign “Live the Promise” is based on the knowledge that churches are living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. The campaign aims to hold individuals, governments, religious leaders, and faith organizations accountable for the commitments they have made and be advocates for further efforts and resources to respond to HIV and AIDS. Drawing upon a wide literature on HIV, religion, and advocacy, this toolkit aims to equip and inspire people to...
The report "Partnership with Faith-Based Organizations: UNAIDS Strategic Framework" draws on an 18-month consultation process to detail a new framework for cooperative interaction between UNAIDS and FBOs in support of the global goal of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support. The report begins by clarifying the terms of discussion and highlighting the crucial role FBOs play in providing HIV-related health services. It acknowledges mistrust of the other on both sides...
This report summarizes the USAID Health Policy Initiative entitled "The Role of Religious Communities in Addressing Gender-based Violence and HIV." Collaborating with the Futures Group International and Religions for Peace, this initiative was designed to prevent and reduce gender-based violence and HIV among women and girls by improving the capacity of religious leaders and faith-based organizations to respond to gender-based violence and its links to HIV. This report shows that the project...
Based on a study commissioned by Tearfund and UNAIDS, this report describes the possibilities and challenges of collaborative relationships between Christian organizations, national governments, donors, and other faith-based organizations in the struggle against HIV/AIDS in Africa. The report focuses on the framework of the “Three Ones” policy, which calls for one agreed action framework, one national coordinating authority, and one monitoring and evaluating system. The report finds that lack...
The UNDP HIV/AIDS Regional Programme in the Arab States (HARPAS) outlines objectives and methods for its Religious Leaders & HIV/AIDS Initiative, a program to enroll and mobilize religious leaders and promote interfaith dialogue in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the Arab region. It believes dialogue at its core is not found in theological debates or compliments, but rather in solidarity and commitment in the face of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Beginning in 2004, HARPAS has hosted seven regional and...
This is a pamphlet from the All African Anglican Conference on HIV/AIDS featuring hymns and prayers from the closing religious ceremonies. The final Eucharist of the conference took place on Thursday, August 16, 2007 with a theme of "United In Jesus We Embrace All Who Live With HIV/AIDS in Africa." The pamphlet includes the liturgy for use during the procession, reflection and lighting of the HIV/AIDS candle, penitence, readings from Luke 10:25-37, and communion.
This report was prepared by the Development Dialogue on Values and Ethics Unit at the World Bank. It assesses the role of faith leaders and institutions in Mozambique in dealing with HIV/AIDS. It identifies the strong role that faith leaders and organizations have in Mozambican society and argues that greater cooperation is needed if HIV/AIDS is to be properly addressed. The paper examines the current response in Mozambique to HIV/AIDS, existing faith institutions, and steps for future...
"Appreciating Assets: The Contribution of Religion to Universal Access in Africa" reports on the importance of partnerships with faith-based organizations in sub-Saharan Africa. It focuses on data collected from Zambia and Lesotho on the prevalence and community perception of FBOs working with HIV/AIDS patients. It ultimately offers advice to public health and religious leaders in their fight against HIV/AIDS. The report was produced by the African Religious Health Assets Program (ARHAP)...
This research study performed by Samuel MacMaster, et al. investigated the effectiveness of a faith-based program in reducing substance abuse, a behavior which increases the risk of HIV/AiDS. The study evaluated a federally funded faith-based program which targets this issue in the African-American population in Nashville, Tennessee. It found that the program's emphasis on spirituality was relatively successful in reducing the risky behavior of African-American substance abusers. Researchers...
In light of the findings of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS 2004 epidemic report, in this article authors Shari Dworkin and Anke Ehrhardt critically examines the "abstinence, be faithful, condom use" (ABC) strategic approach to HIV/AIDS given the feminization of the disease. The authors assess the limitations of the ABC approach, arguing in favor of including "gender, economics, and migration" (GEM) to serve as a comprehensive prevention response. They argue that the addition of...
The Joint Declaration of the International Catholic-Jewish Liaison Committee summarizes the Committee's nineteenth meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, which used the theme "Dignifying the Divine Image" to explore beliefs about healthcare and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It first notes the fortieth anniversary of Nostra Aetate and celebrates the progress in dialogue made since that time. Moving on to consider those affected by HIV/AIDS, the declaration admits continuing disagreement over prevention...
Sponsored by Tearfund, this briefing paper outlines the potential opportunities and challenges for collaboration between traditional international development agencies (IDAs) and the church in Africa. Tearfund emphasizes that FBOs are not just a subset of NGOs, but rather that their faith character gives them unique qualities. Community-based FBOs often feel that this uniqueness, along with their long-term commitment to the poor and the sick, is under appreciated by IDAs. Other obstacles to...
In this address delivered at the Interfaith Summit on Africa, Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. discusses faith based solutions to social justice issues in Africa, namely poverty and HIV/AIDS. In 2001 he co-founded The Pan African Children's Fund, aka, Save Africa's Children (PACF/SAC) to assist faith-based institutions in serving orphans in sub-Saharan Africa. Supported by the United Nations Children's Fund and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, PACF/SAC offers financial support,...
In this 2006 report the Firelight Foundation, a support organization for HIV-positive children in Sub-Saharan Africa, provides information on faith-based programs and strategies to aid children and families affected by HIV/AIDS in the region and advocates greater funding for family- and community-based programs. The report was updated and reprinted in Fall 2008. The report has been supported and endorsed by UNICEF, American Jewish World Service, the Bernard van Leer Foundation, Save Africa's...
In an article published by the African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN), Michael Czerny, S.J., discusses the comparative benefits of ARV (antiretroviral) versus community education programs in fighting HIV/AIDS by considering African and Western perspectives and using supporting examples of Church-led programs. He posits that, while ARVs are an important component of the struggle against HIV/AIDS, overemphasis on this method of treatment risks drawing much needed attention and funds away from...
Michael Kelly, a Jesuit priest living in Zambia, suggests a more dynamic framework for approaching the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. He argues that the continuation of the pandemic is rooted in oppressive human structures linking poverty, gender disparities, stigma, discrimination, and global socio-economic disparities. He criticizes two models of responding to the disease: the biomedical, pharmaceutical model and the behavioral model. Instead he advocates an approach focusing on the...
In the March 25, 2006 edition of The Lancet, Shereen El Feki details the slowly dawning awareness in the Middle East and North Africa that HIV/AIDS is a serious problem that requires a concerted response. El Feki describes some of the education, prevention, treatment, and stigma reduction initiatives being carried out throughout the region by Muslim and Christian leaders from across the Arab region. She also notes the diversity of attitudes and level of response from country to country,...
Originally published in the Bulletin of the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection, this pamphlet brings together essays about AIDS in Zambia by Michael J. Kelly, SJ. It offers a holistic view of the epidemic, its causes and consequences, and a series of socio-economic and religious responses to its challenges. Father Kelly is a Jesuit priest, Zambian citizen, educator, researcher, and activist on HIV/AIDS. His work is based on his experiences living in Zambia for over 50 years. This...
In this paper, the World Council of Churches (WCC) urges its members to continue to fight the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. The paper includes a description of the current HIV/AIDS situation, an affirmation of the church's renewed commitment to combat the epidemic and to care for those affected by the disease, a list of objectives, a conclusion, and space for members to formalize their commitment by signing the document. The WCC presented this paper at its Ninth Assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil...
This report was produced by the UNDP HIV/AIDS Regional Programme in the Arab States in conjunction with the League of Arab States and provides detailed information about the socioeconomic status of the Arab region. It is part of the Regional Programme's efforts to heighten awareness and build commitment to scale up prevention measures to the spread of HIV/AIDS in the region. In addition, the report provides commentary on Islam's role in shaping the response to HIV/AIDS, including a...
In a plenary session of partnerships at the December 2005 Abuja pre-International Conference on AIDS and STDs in Africa (ICASA), Katherine Marshall explores the partnership between faith-based organizations and the World Bank in development work and the fight against HIV/AIDS. This outline reviews the multi-faceted roles of faith institutions in confronting the pandemic, looking at the framework for partnerships between faith institutions and development organizations. In reviewing the...
This powerpoint presentation was created by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and presented as part of the 2005 Christian pre-ICASA (International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa) symposium. The presentation details working with faith-based organizations and explains how religion can play a role in helping families and communities cope with the impact of HIV. Faith leaders are also encouraged to break the silence of stigma associated with...
In this Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare article, Tomoko Kubotani and David Engstrom detail a study that explores Buddhist temple-based HIV/AIDS treatment. The article is based on interviews from monks administering this care and the people living with HIV/AID (PLWHA) that seek treatment at temples. Describing the services provided by three temples that focus their health services on caring for PLWHA, the article centers around three major themes concerning the role of Buddhism and...
In this paper, the World Bank explores the mutually reinforcing relationship between HIV/AIDS and conflict in Africa, calling for faith-based organizations to ensure HIV/AIDS relief and prevention are included in programs serving war-affected populations. It discusses the difficulties of preventing mother-to-child transmission in refugee camps and the absence of prevention and counseling services for refugees and internally displaced people. Often faith-based organizations are the only...
In this article, Laura Kelley and Nicholas Eberstadt highlight the inadequate information on most epidemics in the Muslim world and look for clues within Islam that contribute to the slow response to HIV/AIDS. Specifically, Kelly and Eberstadt argue that the lack of a clear separation between church and state and lack of democracy are main reasons for government inaction. In addition to these reasons, the authors connect the assumption that sexual activities linked to HIV/AIDS do not occur in...
In this paper published by the National Bureau of Asian Research, Laura M. Kelley and Nicholas Eberstadt discuss the extent to which the HIV/AIDS pandemic has affected the Muslim world and describe the policy implications of these findings. The authors strongly criticize governments' hesitation to accept the urgency of the crisis, which they attribute to their unwillingness to accept that behaviors associated with the spread of HIV/AIDS, including premarital sex and intravenous drug use, take...
Continuing the saga of the faith and development dialogue launched by James D. Wolfensohn and Lord George Carey (the former president of the World Bank and former Archbishop of Canterbury, respectively), Katherine Marshall and Lucy Keough describe the January 2005 meeting of religious and development leaders in Dublin, Ireland. Participants embraced the opportunity to debate controversial topics, including HIV/AIDS and gender, but found common ground in their commitment to equitable and...
This report was published by Human Rights Watch in 2005 to examine and addresses the shift of policy in Uganda from effective and scientifically proven HIV prevention strategies to ideological approaches that focus solely on abstinence. A major factor in this strategic shift has been the influence of important religious leaders in the community. The document includes a series of recommendations to the government in Uganda, the US Congress, the Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief...
This report from the Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network details the results of research conducted in the summer of 2004 regarding access to and understanding of anti-retroviral drugs in Kenya. The results were presented to a group of 42 representatives from churches, church health services, NGOs, and government organizations. A key finding of the research is the need for increased cooperation and sharing of practices within the church and church health service community in Kenya. Steps for...
In "Buddhism, the Status of Women and the Spread of HIV/AIDS in Thailand," Areewan Klunklin and Jennifer Greenwood argue that the spread of HIV/AIDS in Thailand can be primarily attributed to the inferior status of women as a result of religious and societal norms. The article examines the impact of Buddhist religious tenets and Thai culture on high-risk sexual behavior and HIV prevention, evaluating the expression of Buddhist folklore and Thai misogyny in the differing gender roles of males...
This study data in "Gender, Religious Involvement, and HIV/AIDS Prevention in Mozambique" compares the knowledge levels and prevention behaviors of men and women in mainline and charismatic churches in Mozambique. It finds that there is a gender gap, which is more pronounced within the healing churches than the mainline congregations, despite the presence of the same prevention rhetoric. Some reasons that the author advances to explain this discrepancy are the relatively high status of...
Developed by the Center for AIDS Development, Research and Evaluation (CADRE) on behalf of Futures Group, "HIV/AIDS, Stigma, and Faith-Based Organizations" evaluates the shades of meaning for terms like discrimination and stigma, outlining how FBOs have been part of the problem and how they are becoming part of the solution. Authors Warren Parker and Karen Birdsall argue that HIV/AIDS stigma has been over-elaborated relative to other forms of stigma and that its pervasiveness in African...
In this report the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) investigates the status of children living in the Islamic World. The report focuses on health, education, child protection, and HIV/AIDS. It is written within the context of larger Millennium Development Goals and a commitment to "A World Fit for Children." A major question explored in this report is whether or not the global community is meeting its commitment to children in the Islamic World. The report also provides statistical...
Through interviews with key decision makers in six countries, the Global Health Council analyzes the role and scope of faith-based organizations (FBOs) as part of the global response to HIV/AIDS. Commissioned by the Catholic Medical Mission Board, the study attempted to select countries representing a variety of regions, stages of the epidemic, and religious traditions. The report found that FBOs are successful in mitigating the negative effects of HIV/AIDS, empowering vulnerable groups, and...
Published by the Centre for AIDS Development, Research and Evaluation (CADRE), this paper analyzes the efforts of faith-based organizations to provide HIV/AIDS relief and prevention services in South Africa. Research on HIV/AIDS in South Africa has traditionally focused on the strategies of national and provincial governments to fight the epidemic. Less attention has been given to the work of non-governmental and community organizations, including faith-based organizations. This report...
In her speech at a Community of Sant'Egidio International Meeting, Katherine Marshall discusses the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa. Her remarks focus on the development dimensions of the epidemic, examining issues around gender, prevention, treatment and the importance of public, private, and civil society partnerships. Through case studies of Senegal, Thailand, and Uganda, Marshall emphasizes the need for multi-sector alliances, dialogue across cultures, and the cooperation of a diversity of...
"Conquering Slim: Uganda's War on HIV/AIDS" explores the critical role of religious leaders and faith-based organizations in supporting Uganda's ABC (Abstinence, Be faithful, use a Condom) prevention strategy, education efforts, and anti-stigma initiatives, along with the challenges in sustaining this positive momentum in years to come. It also stresses how cooperation among diverse partners and the integration of multiple initiatives was crucial to Uganda's success. The report was presented...
This paper describes the shortcomings of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP) process and product with regards to HIV/AIDS. The UK has put HIV/AIDS and Africa as one of its top priorities, but the relationship between the UK Department for International Health (DFID) and PRSP challenges its efforts. Tearfund criticizes both the lack of deep inclusion of all sectors of society (including people affected by AIDS) in the PRSP formulation process, as well as the (neoliberal, Washington...
The Tearfund HIV/AIDS briefing paper "Reaching Out?" introduces various donor initiatives targeted at FBOs that work on HIV/AIDS, explaining the limitations of these partnerships and barriers to increasing support. Primarily focusing on Christian FBOs, the paper analyzes responses of donors to FBOs and makes recommendations for improved collaboration. The paper argues that while the particular strengths of FBOs have been acknowledged, the amount of financial and technical support they receive...
In Breaking the Conspiracy of Silence: Christian Churches and the Global AIDS Crisis, Donald Messer offers a monograph in practical theology to motivate and inspire Christians to put the HIV/AIDS crisis at the top of their priority list. He argues that churches in the US, particularly the United Methodist Church, have done little for HIV/AIDS prevention and care. Providing statistics about the epidemic from across the world, he illustrates the effect that religious denominations and churches...
In his article "'I Told Them not to Love One Another': Gender, Christianity and the Role of Adult Education in the Ugandan Response to HIV/AIDS," Marc Fiedrich discusses the inconsistent quality of adult education classes and training of educators in Uganda as a challenge to NGO efforts to promote disease prevention education. Addressing the source of this problem, he examines the moral boundaries rather than the barriers that HIV/AIDS education poses, including sex discrimination against...
This UNICEF document, a result of the June 2002 African Religious Leaders’ Assembly on Children and HIV/AIDS, was produced in partnership with the World Conference of Religions for Peace to advocate for the involvement of religious leaders and organizations in the fight to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. Discussing tools and resources which community and faith-based leaders can utilize, it offers advice on how African and Asian communities can implement change. The report begins by looking at...
This article discusses general issues of faith and development. Workshop themes include, among others, HIV/AIDS, the place and role of women, and trade in Ghana. The article suggests steps for future action, namely identifying further strategies to promote action on poverty reduction and development within participants’ religious communities. Included in the article is the background paper presented at the conference, “Islam and Poverty Reduction Strategies” by Dr. Rabiatu...
In this concept note, the World Bank outlines a strategy for involving faith-based organizations (FBOs) and national AIDS councils in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa. It notes that FBOs are uniquely well positioned to contribute to the fight due to their in-depth knowledge of specific cases and high levels of trust. Specifically, it lays out plans for a practical workshop aimed at identifying reasons why FBOs have difficulty accessing existing resources to combat AIDS, outlining the...
This Integrated Regional Information Networks interview with Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarch Abune Paulos highlights the church's efforts to combat HIV/AIDS. Paulos is the leader of approximately 40 million followers of the Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Ethiopia. He describes the church's efforts to address stigma and behavioral change, its stance on the use of condoms, its predicted reaction if a priest was found to be HIV positive, and its response to criticisms that the church supports the use...
Presented to the UN Commission on the Status of Women, the report discusses the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on development and human rights in Africa with particular concern for the condition of women. It offers recommendations for improving the situation of women worldwide and for fighting HIV/AIDS; it also highlights the distinct strengths of faith communities in meeting these challenges.This document was prepared by the African Women of Faith Network which formed under the World...
Following their Latin America Regional Consultation, members of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) issued this action plan to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in Latin America. The statement was a response to and contextualization of LWF's "Compassion, Conversion, Care: Responding as churches to the HIV/AIDS pandemic - An Action Plan of the Lutheran World Federation." The action plan describes the Church's motivation to protect human dignity and delineates local, national, and regional...
This March 2003 newsletter of the Islamic Medical Association of Uganda features articles on HIV/AIDS. It outlines initiatives relating to the "Community Action to Protect Children from HIV/AIDS" project, implemented in the Kawempe, Makindye, and Rubaga divisions of the Kampala District in Uganda. Initiatives include preventing mother-to-child transmission, addressing stigma and discrimination, approaching HIV prevention from the Muslim perspective, and following guidelines for Muslim...
The Catholics for a Free Choice report affirms that the Platform for Action, a product of the United Nations' Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, resonates with Catholic social teachings on economic justice and human rights. The report provides information for Catholics who are at risk for HIV/AIDS and struggling with questions of faith and the use of condoms for HIV/AIDS protection. It also makes policy recommendations for both the Catholic Church and society at large on...
The 2002 Annual Report of the Catholic Medical Mission Board highlights the organization's successes, including the allocation of nearly $100 million and the start of an ambitious initiative, "Born to Live," which is aimed at the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission. It also contains several extended testimonials that illustrate the impact of the association's programs, an illustrated timeline of its activities, and information on its contributors.
In this press release, the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) and the Kenya Episcopal (KEC) Conference announce their joint initiative "Born to Live", designed to fight mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Kenya. The memorandum, signed by CMMB and KEC, enables CMMB to implement its prevention of mother-to-child transmission program into 41 hospitals, 94 health centers, and 276 dispensaries. Members believe this faith-based partnership will significantly reduce HIV/AIDS in...
In this paper for the Health Economics and HIV/AIDS Research Division of the University of Natal, Jeremy Liebowitz argues that faith-based organizations have inherent advantages in organizing and delivering intervention strategies to combat HIV/AIDS. Through a case study of Uganda, Liebowitz reviews the role of FBOs in delivering information, encouraging open discussion, providing services, and changing behavior within their communities. Paying particular attention to rural areas, he draws on...
Authored by the Peter Okaalet, Senior Director of the Health, HIV, and AIDS Policy Office at MAP International, this article provides an overview of the advantages of faith-based responses to HIV/AIDS. Okaalet posits that religious-based initiatives, when properly supported and coordinated, can be some of the most strategic vehicles through which to slow the spread of HIV and AIDS. The article describes the position of the church regarding HIV/AIDS and proactive potentials for taking...
In her speech to the International Meeting of the Community of Sant'Egidio, Katherine Marshall focuses on the special challenges of globalization today, namely poverty, HIV/AIDS, and inequality in education. She discusses the challenges of global citizenship, the salience of poverty and social justice in the modern world, and threats and opportunities for daily citizens. She believes something must be done to address the stark differences between the world of abundance and opportunity and...
This USAID report synthesizes presentations made in February 2002 at USAID by four individuals with long-term experience in HIV prevention in Africa and provides statistical data relating to a variety of interventions that have resulted in a decline in incidence and prevalence of HIV, paying particular attention to population based and gender based surveys. Commenting on HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Uganda, the presentations include names of religious leaders and faith-based organizations...
This document is an outline of a project, led by Medical Assistance Program International (MAP), to mobilize both Protestant and Catholic Churches in Kenya to get involved in HIV/AIDS prevention. The project attempts to capitalize on the appeal of churches across ethnic, gender, age, economic, and social lines to reduce high risk sexual behavior. It encourages the expansion of church-led, local, HIV/AIDS programs. Thus far, two major policy statements on HIV/AIDS have been distributed by...
Journeys of Faith describes and analyzes innovative HIV/AIDS programs carried out by churches and other Christian organizations in Mozambique, Namibia, and South Africa. Written by Canon Gideon Byamugisha, Lucy Y. Steinitz, Glen Williams, and Phumzile Zondi , this book is the sixteenth in the Strategies for Hope Series, which argues for the importance of religious institutions in promoting good health. Journeys of Faith is narrative in nature, explaining how religious faith bolstered the...
This final declaration from the African Religious Leaders Assembly on Children and HIV/AIDS urges a partnership between religious organizations, governmental leaders, and non-governmental sectors to care for children affected by HIV/AIDS and to reduce stigma associated with the disease. It outlines a commitment to defend children with HIV/AIDS against social stigma, to increase educational efforts, and to improve access to medical care and information. The report also pledges to petition...
This brochure highlights the work of the Islamic Medical Association of Uganda, particularly in HIV/AIDS prevention. It outlines eight health projects, implementation of a training program at Saidina A bubakar Nursing Home, and construction of a Saidina A bubakar Hospital and Training Center. The Islamic Medical Association targets all Ugandans, but gives particular attention to Muslim communities. It consists of 350 health professionals and partners with agencies such as USAID, UNICEF, UNDP,...
In this factsheet, POLICY Project highlights its work with faith-based organizations fighting HIV/AIDS. Partnering with the (Anglican) Church Province of Southern Africa, POLICY works to incorporate new organizations into existing networks of FBOs fighting HIV/AIDS. Programs include technical assistance, small grants, mentoring, capacity development, awareness raising and training workshops, support for network formation and maintenance, and conferences. The factsheet describes examples of...
This report recognizes the failure of the churches in side-stepping issues of sexuality and contributing to the stigmatization of the sick and outlines ways to reform these flaws. It addresses prevention, education, training, care, support, treatment, and cultural and liturgical approaches. It concludes with a commitment from the churches to execute the plan and recognition of the World Council of Churches (WCC) as the accountable institution for monitoring the agreement. This plan of action...
This document is a country report of the HIV/AIDS situation in Indonesia. It was published as part of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS and highlights multisectoral approaches to combat the virus. Programmes include IEC (Information, Education, Communication), prevention, testing and counseling, treatment and care, education and training, research and development, monitoring and evaluation, international cooperation, and laws and regulation. The multidimensional...
In this statement to the UN Special General Assembly on HIV/AIDS, facilitated by the World Council of Churches, Christian, Jewish, and interfaith organizations discuss the strengths of FBOs and the potential for partnership with secular institutions. They first acknowledge past shortcomings of faith-based organizations in addressing the epidemic, but then highlight successes and innovations that religious actors have developed. By reaffirming their commitment to support all efforts already...
The statement "HIV/AIDS & Gender Equality: Transforming Attitudes and Behaviors" outlines the Bahá'í perspective on critical issues surrounding the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Gender inequality, stigma, and the role of faith communities in mitigating both of these are the main focus. The Bahá'í view is that as interaction between people of different faiths and cultures increases, the traditions and practices that discriminate against women will gradually give way; only spiritual transformation can...
In "The Impact of Religious Organizations in Promoting HIV/AIDS prevention," Edward C. Green of Synergy Project and Harvard School of Public Health discusses primary behavior change and the involvement of religious leaders and organizations in HIV/AIDS initiatives. He concludes that resources should be more evenly allocated between prevention initiatives encouraging behavioral change and initiatives that distribute condoms. Countries of interest include Uganda, Senegal, and Jamaica. Green...
This report is the product of the All Africa Anglican Conference, held in August 13-16, 2001 in Cape Town. It serves as a guide which outlines an HIV/AIDS counteraction plan for the Anglican Communion. The plan includes measures that cover prevention, pastoral care, counseling, HIV care, and giving dignity to the dying and dead. It also emphasizes the need for education, training, and effective leadership which can diminish the stigma surrounding those affected by HIV/AIDS and their families....
MAP International provides a course of study for theological colleges and religious organizations in Africa to better address and combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The program originated in June 2000 in conversations among deans, principals, theologians and representatives from twenty theological institutions from fourteen countries in east and southern Africa. In July 2001, the first draft of the curriculum was implemented; curricular development was supported by the World Council of Churches....
In this paper, Stan Houston assesses the long term impacts of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on HIV/AIDS and the overall health of populations in Africa. He outlines the health crisis in Africa, funding for ART, the prevention of transmission of HIV/AIDS from mother to child, the difficulties of monitoring ART programs, drug quality, drug resistance, and the effects of ART on patients, healthcare workers, governments, and the public. Houston ultimately concludes that the risks of ART should not...
In a July 1997, the Agence Nationale de Recherches sur le Sida and the association Ensemble Contre le Sida sponsored a study of a rural community in central Senegal to analyze the impact of religiosity on key factors related to HIV/AIDS and identified differing attitudes toward AIDS based on gender and religious connection. Religious men were less likely to cite AIDS as a major health problem and religious women were much more likely to feel at risk than their non-religious counterparts. The...
Published by UNAID, "AIDS Education Through Imams: A Spiritually-Motivated Community Effort in Uganda" documents the experiences and findings of the Islamic Medical Association of Uganda's (IMAU) HIV/AIDS education project in Uganda, detailing the networks they establish with local religious leaders and volunteers to bring accurate information on HIV/AIDS to Muslim communities, and the counseling and support services they offer to over 10,000 people in 11 districts. The report assesses two...
In this booklet, Christian Aid assesses the challenges facing African churches in their fight to stop the HIV/AIDS epidemic and explores ways for churches and individuals in the United Kingdom to assist them in their mission. In detail, it describes what the HIV/AIDS epidemic looks like in Africa, summarizes the salient obstacles for churches, and spotlights the problem of orphans. The discussion then shifts towards action, detailing unsuccessful behavioral changes, reasons for hope, and...
Catholic Relief Services, an organization that coordinates relief and development efforts in over 100 countries, has translated its experience into reports, case studies, and guidelines, which it makes available online. The Resource Page provides information on topics ranging from agriculture and education to water sanitation and microfinance. The page emphasizes resources for peacebuilding and combating HIV/AIDS, and more general tools for program implementation and development.
The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance represents a global network of churches and faith-inspired organizations who work to fight injustice and assaults on human dignity. The EAA's online Resource Library includes information and documents on issues like global trade, HIV/AIDS, and conflict resolution, in formats ranging from news articles and reports to speech transcripts and press releases. Users can search for resources through simple keyword searches, by related event or subject, or by format...
The report "Engaging with The Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: A Primer For Faith-based Organizations" (second edition) is designed to help faith-based organizations successfully apply for Global Fund grants and generally improve understanding and cooperation between FBOs and other stakeholders. It first provides a general overview of the Global Fund's history and structure, followed by examples of the diverse ways and levels at which FBOs can engage the Global Fund; it...
In this pamphlet, Expanded Church Response (ECR) outlines its ECR Trust, a network of Protestant churches responding to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in Zambia. ECR seeks to provide moral guidance for the country, respond to the biblical mandate to help the vulnerable, coordinate and develop human capital that could be used for volunteerism, effectively use physical assets around the country, and facilitate collaboration of other faith-based organizations with similar missions. ECR...
The Micah Network unites over 300 Christian relief, development, and justice organizations from across the globe. The organization's website offers resources on the intersection of development and disability, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and community development best practices. The Integral Mission Resource Library offers congregations and church partners a variety of resources intentionally gathered from different regions of the world and ranging from theological papers to worship resources,...
Published by the World Bank in November of 2003, this book summarizes the 2002 meeting of faith and development leaders in Canterbury, United Kingdom. Coauthored by Katherine Marshall and Richard Marsh, the book includes a wide array of chapters by several authors such as Paul David Hewson (more commonly known as Bono), Lord George Carey, James D. Wolfensohn, Clarie Short, and Akbar Ahmed. Each explores development and the role of faith based organizations in achieving the Millennium...
In this paper, Dick Cremins, S.J., outlines a plan to promote the "A&B" method among non-faith-based AIDS-prevention organizations in Africa at a symposium hosted by the Pan-African Christian AIDS Network (PACANet). He details the effectiveness of "A&B," “Abstain” and “Be faithful,” in comparison to “C,” "Condoms," the primary difference between the Catholic strategy in fighting HIV/AIDs and secular, non-Catholic organizations. He points out that in order to effectively win out this argument...