HIV / AIDS

I am honoured to be invited to address you today on a matter that so deeply affects South
Africa, Africa and indeed the whole world.
HIV/AIDS has been with us for about two decades, but it remains a problem whose
solution continues to elude us all. We are main! some pro!ress in understandin! this
challen!e, but we still have a lon! way to !o in containin! its spread.
Althou!h people from all wals of life are affected, AIDS is hittin! hard at the most
vulnerable sections of our society. It is the poor, the illiterate, the mar!inalised, the
women and the children who bear most of the burden of the HIV epidemic.
"he face of HIV/AIDS in South Africa has become more comple# over the past $% years.
We are no lon!er only dealin! with information and awareness, but with people that are
faced with the reality of livin! with the disease. "he vast ma&ority of them are
undia!nosed. Seba!ian besar dari merea adalah undia!nosed. "hey do not now their
HIV status. Some of them are already fallin! ill but they do not now that their illnesses
are related to HIV/AIDS. And even if they do now or suspect, they are reluctant to come
out and tal about their condition.
I stand before you today to further consolidate our partnership in respondin! to this ma&or
challen!e particularly the sti!ma that continue to be associated with it. We see your
partnership because we now that every South African citi'en, every leader, bishop or
priest has a special and uni(ue role to play in combatin! HIV infection and carin! for
those livin! with HIV/AIDS.
"he church has always played a role of carin! for those who are wea and in need of
support. )ut you have been able to initiate pro!rammes that really mae a difference in
the lives of those in need of care particularly the children. "he care that you have !iven
has ot been limited only to the messa!e of hope and spiritual well*bein!. I am convinced
that the church can play a ma&or role in fi!htin! the sti!ma that is associated with
HIV/AIDS and encoura!e openness and positive livin! amon!st those who are infected
and affected.
"o ensure a common direction in the call for partnerships, we initiated the development
of the +ive ,ear Strate!ic -lan for South Africa, in .%%% in collaboration with all the ey
staeholders, includin! the faith*based sector. It is a broad national strate!ic plan
desi!ned to !uide the country/s response to HIV/AIDS. "he plan outline four priority
areas, which are0 1$2 -revention, 1.2 "reatment, 3are and Support, 142 5esearch,
6onitorin! and Surveillance and 172 Human 5i!hts.
"here can be no doubt that the faith based community has a central role to play in the
implementation of this plan.
"here are numerous e#amples of how the faith sector is respondin! or can respond to this
challen!e. I will lie to raise for discussion at least four ey roles that +aith*based
or!anisations and individual members of those or!anisations can play in respondin! to
HIV/AIDS.
With re!ard to 8ducation, we can0
Identify resources and models for prevention education
Stren!then HIV/AIDS prevention throu!h family enrichment
8nhance HIV/AIDS prevention throu!h youth pro!rammes * buildin! a solid
foundation concernin! se#uality, responsible adulthood and marria!e,
appreciatin! the youth and breain! the silence about se#.
9n Advocacy, we can0
3ampai!n a!ainst discrimination
Wor to!ether with !overnment in achievin! appropriate levels of cost*effective
health care, especially home based care
See means to protect interests of particularly women and children
9n Worship, we can
8stablish an annual :ational Day of -rayer and Healin! for all persons affected
by the epidemic
8stablish an interfaith Day of -rayer and Healin! Service, we can
-rovide care which involves encoura!in! and supportin! those who are infected
and affected
-romote /+amily fosterin!/ for those who have lost their parents or !uardians
"ae part in providin! home care which may include0
* Home visits for prayer and scripture readin!
* 6eetin! physical needs for food, clothin!, medical attention
* Assistance in plannin! for the future of the family particularly children
* Support for orphaned children
* Assistin! with basic household activities such as shoppin!, cleanin! the
house or washin! clothes
At the All Africa 3hurch and AIDS 3onsultation which was held in ;ampala in April
$<<7 a =3all to Action= was developed and si!ned. Similarly, =A commitment on
HIV/AIDS by people of faith=, was si!ned in Washin!ton that same year. I will lie to
(uote at least one section of this statement of commitment, and I (uote0
=We are called by >od to affirm a life of hope and healin! in the midst of HIV/AIDS.
9ur traditions call us to embody and proclaim hope, and to celebrate life and healin! in
the midst of sufferin!.=
We therefore need to send a positive messa!e about HIV/AIDS. We need to tell people
that &ust because you are HIV positive today, it does not mean you will !et AIDS
tomorrow and die. 3o*factors such as poverty, hi!h levels of mainly childhood
malnutrition, vitamin A and iodine deficiency as well as lac of other micronutrients have
a ma&or impact on how one pro!ress to full*blown AIDS.
We have to advise those infected and affected by HIV that by eatin! nutritious food,
mana!in! their stress, treatin! any infection promptly includin! se#ually transmitted
infections and usin! condoms, they can live lon!er and lead a healthy and productive life
for many years.
We need to use this opportunity to declare our response to AIDS0
* We are called to love
* We are called to be compassionate and care
* We should commit ourselves to speain! publicly and promote HIV/AIDS
prevention and A)3 messa!es
* We should promote and provide care for those who are infected and
affected
* We should fi!ht the sins of discrimination and sti!ma
* We should wor to!ether with other sectors of society to see ways of
eliminatin! poverty
I stron!ly believe that if we can leave this conference with a stron! re*affirmation as the
faith based leaders of this country, we will be able to provide hope for the faith
community and for society as a whole0 "hat in the spirit of love, compassion and care,
throu!h collective efforts to confront and to challen!e discrimination and to empower our
respective believers, we can overcome many of the challen!es posed to us by HIV/AIDS.
"han you.