The church in Africa is an untapped resource in the struggle against HIV and AIDS, a new report from Tearfund has found. Tearfund launched the report, Faith untapped, at the 16th International HIV and AIDS conference in Toronto last week.
It highlights the church’s unique reach into communities, the longevity of its commitment and its perseverance to serve those in need amid the harshest of circumstances. The church’s response is largely provided by a hidden army of volunteers representing £2.5 billion per annum in labour costs.
Unfortunately the work of the church often remains unrecognised and under-funded by governments and international donors. The report called for governments and donors to acknowledge the huge and unique contribution of the church in its response to HIV and AIDS and to seek to better fund and support faith based programmes.
In addition, the report recognised where the Church has struggled to engage in the HIV and AIDS response and called for the church to look again at some of its attitudes towards gender and sex, and address the part it can play in fuelling stigma and discrimination.
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