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Three decades into the AIDS pandemic it has become clear that churches, non-governmental agencies and governments need to redouble their efforts to combat the disease and its effects, said the central governing body of the World Council of Churches (WCC) during its meeting in February 2011.
In one of its most effective programme initiatives, the WCC has created and distributed an estimated 50,000 copies of books aimed at tackling the steep pastoral and theological challenges of AIDS in Africa.
A quarter-century into that publishing and education initiative, the WCC Central Committee this week cited “the changing face of the pandemic” and encouraged its member churches to persevere in their efforts and to embrace the vision of the United Nations programme UNAIDS: “Zero new infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS related deaths.”
The Central Committee made its comments through a brief statement, or a “minute” highlighting the work of the Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiative in Africa (EHAIA), which started in 2002 under the WCC's health and healing programme in cooperation with the All Africa Conference of Churches.
The book publishing initiative has been augmented by a training and distribution network centred in five regional offices in Africa – Nairobi, Lomé, Kinshasa, Harare and Luanda – that coordinate pastoral training and connect the programmes to seminaries.
“Inspired and rigorous theological understanding”
Rigorously contextual, EHAIA aims at accompanying churches and theological institutions to become "HIV-competent,” says project coordinator Rev. Dr Nyambura Njoroge.
"The books series makes a critical contribution through its inspired and rigorous theological understanding of HIV and AIDS,” she said. “It also includes appropriate training of clergy and laity as well as enhancing the churches’ capacity to engage in local action to overcome the challenges that accompany HIV and AIDS.”
Among the chief resources in the series are volumes that deal with the stigma of AIDS, theological perspectives on health and illness, sexuality and gender, seminary curricula and the specific challenges posed by youth, pastoral care and public policy.
Today young people account for 40 percent of new adult infections, that is to say of people over 14 years old in UNAIDS terminology, worldwide. More than 90 percent of all new infections among children are in sub-Saharan Africa, according to United Nations statistics.
Despite progress being made combatting HIV and AIDS, the WCC statement cited new challenges posed by children born with HIV who are approaching sexual maturity, couples in which one or both persons are living with HIV, and also the needs of millions of widows, widowers and orphans.
Even though the world has made great progress in care, prevention and treatment, “there are more than 33 million people living with HIV,” said the statement; this number includes 10 million people still awaiting treatment.
Since the first appearance of the pandemic 30 years ago, an estimated 60 million people have been infected with HIV, of whom more than 25 million have died. In 2008 alone, an estimated 2.7 million people became infected with HIV, and an estimated 2.0 million people died of AIDS-related illnesses, according to UN data.
Today in sub-Saharan Africa, the epidemic has orphaned more than 14 million children.
25 years encouraging medical and pastoral care
The WCC involvement with HIV and AIDS dates to 1986, when its then-general secretary, the Rev. Dr Emilio Castro, was first approached by several churches and the World Health Organization to counter the stigma of AIDS that was discouraging funding for medical and pastoral care of those affected by the disease.
Focussed on advocacy and education, WCC efforts and partnerships have grown through publishing, networking and training. The first WCC manual on pastoral care appeared in 1991.
Increasing engagement with churches and theological institutions led to the EHAIA book series and accompanying efforts. Since 2001, primary responsibility for the advocacy task has been assumed by the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance.
