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“HIV is a call, not a curse.”The words of Bishop Methodius (Kondratiev) of Alapaevsk and Kamensk from the Russian Orthodox Church carry a message about the role of spiritual and moral dimensions of AIDS.
"HIV-infected persons in the Orthodox environment should not be outcasts or feel themselves as lepers surrounded by healthy people. HIV is not a sign of God's rejection,” he said.
He is part of a growing circle of Christian, Jewish and Muslim people in Eastern Europe and Central Asia who are sharing their experience responding to HIV to develop more coordinated cooperation among faith-based organizations, even as the number HIV infections increases in the region.
Conversations that began at the Fifth International Eastern European and Central Asian AIDS Conference (EECAAC) in Moscow three months ago are continuing today. With the motto "Every Life Matters,” the forum was the largest event on HIV prevention and treatment in the region, attended by 2,500 delegates from 79 countries. Among the participants were leading scientists, politicians, public figures, and representatives of international and religious organizations and non-government organizations.
"We need to build a bridge between scientific evidence and social transformation,”UNAIDS executive director and under-secretary general of the United Nations Michel Sidibé said. "You cannot overcome HIV just by scientific evidence; people do not understand it. Only religious organizations can build that bridge and reach people in their social circles. Religious organizations can fight stigma and discrimination and stand for social justice. They need to invite people to seek medical treatment, and no one should be left without treatment opportunities.”
According to the latest UNAIDS data, 1.5 million people in Eastern Europe and Central Asia are living with HIV. In 2015 there were an estimated 190,000 new HIV infections in the region, rising by 57 percent between 2010 and 2015. At the same time, new HIV infections worldwide have fallen by 6 percent since 2010. AIDS-related deaths worldwide have fallen by 45 percent since their peak in 2005. Yet in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the number of AIDS-related deaths has increased by 22% between 2010 and 2015.
The EECAAC saw wide participation of churches and religious organizations, including several dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Churches of Moldova and Belarus, Armenian Apostolic Church, Roman-Catholic Church of Russia, Lutheran Church of the European part of Russia, Churches of Evangelic Christians in Russia, the Church of Seventh Day Adventists and numerous Jewish and Muslim organizations. More than 70 representatives from religious communities of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and Armenia attended. The process was supported by the World Council of Churches – Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance.
The largest part of the inter-religious work responding to HIV in Russia in recent years has been done by the Inter-Christian Coordinating Committee on HIV/AIDS, founded in 2005. It includes representatives from eight Christian denominations, the Roman-Catholic church being represented by Caritas.
“Thanks to the committee’s activities, all the participating denominations have developed an official stance on HIV/AIDS, created palliative care programs for people with HIV, programs for AIDS Prevention, as well as conducted training courses for clergy and social workers,” explains Margarita Nelyubova, representative of Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The committee has opened regional offices, and in some regions significant inter-church projects have been carried out. "For example, in St. Petersburg, Sisters of Mercy from different Christian denominations attend joint training courses where they learn how to care for HIV patients. In Moscow, representatives of Caritas together with the Russian Orthodox Church have been offering care for HIV-positive orphans already for several years,” said Nelyubova.
In Russia alone, 1 million people have been officially registered as HIV-positive since 1987. According to the Russian Federal Service for Consumer Rights and Human Wellbeing, Russia saw an increase of 8.7 percent in HIV infections in 2015, compared with nearly 12 percent the year before.
Differences between "western" and "Russian" approaches responding to HIV adds a tension to the preventive work. Experts of the Russian Institute for Strategic Research recently have blamed the spread of HIV in Russia on condoms and accused the West of exaggerating the spread of sexually transmitted diseases in Russia. A report presented to Moscow’s City Council on 31 May referred to the "promotion of traditional family values”as the main route to stopping the spread of HIV, attributing infections to promiscuity and homosexuality.
Yet Vadim Pokrovsky, head of the Moscow-based Federal AIDS Center, stated last year that the government’s conservative policies had failed to slow down the spread of the virus, and the last five years of the conservative approach have led to the doubling of the number of HIV-infected people.
Russia’s top AIDS expert has criticized the Kremlin’s agenda, saying the AIDS epidemic is worsening and at least two million Russians are likely to be HIV-infected in about five years unless tough measures are taken to halt the spread of the virus.
The 21st International AIDS Conference will be held in Durban, South Africa, 18-22 July 2016. An Interfaith Pre-Conference, “Faith on the Fast Track: Reducing stigma and discrimination; increasing access; and defending human rights now!” will be held 16-17 July. An Ecumenical Media Team will be covering faith-based participation at the conference. For more information see www.iacfaith.org or contact Sara Speicher at [email protected].
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