Faith leaders need to show the way in fighting HIV and AIDS stigma
This week CAFOD and three of its partners from Ethiopia, Uganda and Mexico will join thousands of activists, policy makers and academics - including hundreds of global faith leaders - at the International HIV and AIDS conference in Washington DC.
For more than 25 years, this international conference has played a central role in the global response to HIV and AIDS, marking the evolution of the epidemic and serving as a forum for debate on key themes and presentations of scientific advances.
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CAFOD will be presenting a paper on its exciting new project to reduce stigma in Kenya, Ethiopia and Zambia, highlighting the vital role the Church plays in tackling HIV and AIDS and breaking down stigma in communities.
Globally, the spread of HIV has halted and begun to reverse. In low and middle income countries, 5.2 million people are receiving treatment. The number of children born with HIV has reduced from 500,000 children in 2001 to 370,000 in 2009. These gains have shown what can be achieved when the international community works together to tackle barriers and ensure an effective and sustainable response to HIV and AIDS.
However, in 2011, 34.2 million people were living with HIV. Only 54% of those needing treatment are receiving it, and stigma and discrimination remain one of the key barriers for people to access HIV treatment, care and support.
Many men and women in communities where our partners work are scared even to get tested for HIV because of what their families and neighbours might think. They’re nervous to start treatment even when it’s available in case someone finds out and they lose their job or even their home.
As part of our Stigma Initiative over 200 faith leaders are being supported to develop ways to reduce stigma in their communities. Yared Degefu, a member of our HIV team in Ethiopia, noted how this project is already bringing change in people’s lives. A woman who benefited from the Stigma Initiative told him: “This has been a way of bringing change because now I know more. I lost my job. I had to leave it because I was sick. But now I feel I can do something again.”
You can help people living with HIV and AIDS by giving to CAFOD today>>
