Statement for World Aids Day 2009 from All Africa Council of Churches : Universal Access and Human Rights

November 30, 2009

The All Africa Conference of Churches joins the international community to mark the World Aids Day which is usually commemorated on the first day of December. The theme for this year is 'Universal Access and Human Rights'. From the time in 1988 when the day was first marked so much has happened and even though, the church has not been able to ‘alter the course of the epidemic’[1], as had been optimistically expressed, it is living up to the expectation of being the salt and the light of the world in provision of love, care and compassion for the people of God who are living with or are affected by HIV and Aids in the continent. The African church under the auspices of AACC has continued to be a beacon of hope for many HIV infected and affected communities.

As we take stock of the milestones some churches have so far achieved in addressing the HIV and Aids pandemic which include, among others, breaking the silence around stigma; awareness creation; promotion and provision of health care through the church health facilities; care and support of orphans and vulnerable children and persons living with HIV among others, we acknowledge that a lot still remains to be done for the over 12 million orphans and over 24 million people living with HIV in Africa.

Africa, the Epicentre of the HIV Pandemic

As Church let us recommit ourselves, to fight the pandemic which is making new inroads in Africa. For example in several African countries, populations that were hitherto considered at low risk such as the elderly and people in marriage and stable relationships are now at great risk of infection according to research. In fact, the latest UNAIDS information paints a gloomy picture of the HIV and Aids situation in the continent by revealing that the highest number of new infections (70.4%), HIV and Aids orphans (76%), adults and children living with HIV and Aids (66.7%) and Aids related deaths (75%) occur in Africa. It is in Africa where for every two people put on Antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, five others are newly infected - a clear case of two steps forward and one step backward.

The situation in Sub-Saharan Africa sharply contrasts with the global trend in which new HIV infections and the number of persons living with HIV and Aids have declined. Likewise deaths from Aids related illnesses have reduced and the number of persons on Anti Retroviral Therapy has increased. This is now our challenge in Africa as we commemorate this year’s World Aids day.

With this in mind, the Church should not relent in its efforts to alter the course of the epidemic in Africa. In order for the church in Africa to overcome this challenge, we recommend to all our member churches, national Christian councils and institutional members of AACC to:

Mainstream HIV and Aids into all aspects of their work recognising that HIV is multi-sectored with factors including poverty, conflict, culture, and gender impacting on HIV and Aids. Therefore all church work with women, youth and children should preferably have a component on HIV and Aids in order to speed up action and effect;

Recognize gender dynamics that make women more vulnerable to sexual gender violence which fuels the spread of HIV and for the church to engage with retrogressive traditions such as female genital mutilation, early marriages in order to liberate and empower all members of the church;

Strengthen and re-invigorate response to the HIV and Aids challenge by discerning its changing epidemiological trend and reorienting church plans, policies and strategies for effective response for overcoming HIV and Aids. This requires the church to keep abreast of national HIV and Aids information/research and then marshal its resources and immense social capital to address the challenge. Towards this end the church should remain alert, proactive and work collaboratively and in partnership with state and non-state actors such as national aid control bodies, research institutions, hospitals and health departments/ministries engaged in efforts to overcome the scourge.

Advocate for the human rights for all to prevention, treatment, care and support; rights which are critical and integral for everyone regardless of their political, cultural, economic or HIV status. Church leaders should take up the challenge and advocate against harmful cultural practice and gender based violence which fuel the spread of HIV while stepping up efforts aimed at reducing vulnerability to HIV by reducing poverty, increasing food production, employment creation, etc;

Encourage, stimulate and support the growth of more centres of hope from where love, care and compassion will ceaselessly flow forth to the infected and affected including the orphans, widows in the communities. We pay tribute to the elderly and the children on whom a huge burden of looking after and heading households lies and we urge churches, which spread out in every corner of the land to bring out the challenges and the concerns of these special group of caregivers.

Acknowledge and take cognisance of the myriad of new challenges likely to compound our struggles and efforts to fighting HIV and Aids notably the adverse effects of climate change and the challenge it poses of reduced food production and the global financial crisis which may impact on health delivery systems. The HIV and Aids response activities for prevention, control and treatment might decline due to lack of adequate financial resources. Already effects are being felt in several countries in as far as access to Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) is concerned. Overall, these may aggravate the HIV and Aids situation in Africa.

Develop HIV and Aids competence at all levels and increase congregational level responses to HIV. As AACC, we will continue to accompany and to build the capacity of Churches in Africa to become HIV and Aids competent and to step up advocacy of churches as the beacon of hope, called to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour (Luke 4: 18-19).

We will appreciate information on the activities you conducted on this day.

Thank you.

Rev. Dr. Andre Karamaga

GENERAL SECRETARY
www.aacc-ceta.org Tel: 254 - 20 - 4441483, 4441338/9  Fax: 254 - 20- 4443241, 4445835  Email: secretariat@aacc-ceta.org

General Secretariat: Waiyaki Way, P.O. Box 14205, 00800 Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya

[1] What religious leaders can do about HIV/Aids (New York: 2003).