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Imams trained in campaign against HIV/AIDS

A three-day seminar organised by the Centre National de Lutte contre le Sida (CNLS) concluded on Friday in the city of Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), with the aim of training 60 Islamic religious leaders as HIV/AIDS educators. According to Kongovoulou Yahya, Vice President of the Groupe de Predication Islamique, the seminar sought to educate and mobilise the Islamic community in CAR in matters related to HIV/AIDS. "As an Imam, I have to be aware of the disease, I have to play a mobilising and educating role among my brothers," Kongovoulou told PlusNews. Last week's seminar is to be followed by many others conducted by the newly-trained leaders in favour of members of their respective associations. The seminar, which was led by five doctors specialised in HIV/AIDS care, also included three Imams who addressed the participants on the Koran's position with regard to HIV/AIDS. CAR is the most severely HIV/AIDS-affected nation in the central African subregion and the 10th most affected in the world, with 12 percent of its population HIV-positive.

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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