![[Angola] The Catholic Church plays a significant role in Cabinda – Sept 2003.](https://assets.thenewhumanitarian.org/s3fs-public/styles/responsive_large_2x/public/images/20039514.jpg.webp?itok=KaY3wJah "The Archbishop of the Anglican Church recently issued a public apology for shunning HIV-positive people")
In the crowded shantytowns of Eastlands in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, a new voice has emerged in the fight against HIV/AIDS: Catholic, Protestant and Muslim religious leaders are now educating their members about the disease instead of condeming those who have contracted it.
"The church is strategically positioned to fight AIDS. Most people in Kenya place a lot of trust in their pastor or Imam," said Reverend Gilbert Ayiera of the Eastlands Pentecostal Pastor's Fellowship. "We have decided to use that influence positively to prevent our people from dying more."
The Archbishop of the Anglican Church, Benjamin Nzimbi, issued a public apology for having shunned HIV-positive people, saying, "Our earlier approach in fighting AIDS was misplaced, since we likened it to a disease for sinners and a curse from God."
Ayiera, whose programme began in 2003, said he had also preached a "condemning message" about HIV. "Today ... I tell people to be careful of the dangers of HIV, but I also encourage the congregation to show love to those infected people and care for them. I tell HIV-positive people that God still loves them and they can continue to live positively."
He said most pastors initially rejected the idea of being more involved in HIV/AIDS. "They felt that their role was limited to preaching the word of God, but over time that has changed, and about three-quarters of church leaders in this area are involved in active programmes on HIV/AIDS. We work with more than 200 churches, holding training sessions to educate pastors on how to tell their parishioners about the pandemic."
His church's prevention focus is on abstinence, but Ayiera said he also educated some members about condoms.
A recent report, 'Faith Untapped', by Tearfund, a faith-based nongovernmental organisation, said, "Churches have unparalleled influence and a long reach into remote areas ... for spreading messages about AIDS ... Crucially, churches are in a unique position to dispel the prejudice and gender inequality on which HIV and AIDS feed, provided they recognise the part they often play in reinforcing stigma and discrimination."
Faith groups provide about 40 percent of healthcare in many African countries.
kr/tdm/he
"The church is strategically positioned to fight AIDS. Most people in Kenya place a lot of trust in their pastor or Imam," said Reverend Gilbert Ayiera of the Eastlands Pentecostal Pastor's Fellowship. "We have decided to use that influence positively to prevent our people from dying more."
The Archbishop of the Anglican Church, Benjamin Nzimbi, issued a public apology for having shunned HIV-positive people, saying, "Our earlier approach in fighting AIDS was misplaced, since we likened it to a disease for sinners and a curse from God."
Ayiera, whose programme began in 2003, said he had also preached a "condemning message" about HIV. "Today ... I tell people to be careful of the dangers of HIV, but I also encourage the congregation to show love to those infected people and care for them. I tell HIV-positive people that God still loves them and they can continue to live positively."
He said most pastors initially rejected the idea of being more involved in HIV/AIDS. "They felt that their role was limited to preaching the word of God, but over time that has changed, and about three-quarters of church leaders in this area are involved in active programmes on HIV/AIDS. We work with more than 200 churches, holding training sessions to educate pastors on how to tell their parishioners about the pandemic."
His church's prevention focus is on abstinence, but Ayiera said he also educated some members about condoms.
A recent report, 'Faith Untapped', by Tearfund, a faith-based nongovernmental organisation, said, "Churches have unparalleled influence and a long reach into remote areas ... for spreading messages about AIDS ... Crucially, churches are in a unique position to dispel the prejudice and gender inequality on which HIV and AIDS feed, provided they recognise the part they often play in reinforcing stigma and discrimination."
Faith groups provide about 40 percent of healthcare in many African countries.
kr/tdm/he
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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