Strengthening role of churches in combating HIV-AIDS
Feb.26,2014: An international conference on stepping up the fight against HIV-AIDS
opened in Rome on Tuesday, with participants focused on how to strengthen the role
of faith based organisations. Jointly organised by UNAIDS and the global Catholic
aid and development confederation - Caritas Internationalis, the meeting will review
progress over the past three decades and pinpoint ways of expanding access to life
saving anti-AIDS treatment. The most recent report from UNAIDS sets a goal of having
15 million people on anti-retroviral therapy by 2015, while also looking longer term
towards universal access to treatment and the elimination of AIDS-related deaths.
Among those helping to sponsor the conference is the U.S embassy to the Holy See.
In opening remarks to participants Ambassador Ken Hackett spoke of the continuing
role of the Catholic Church in providing prevention, treatment, care and counselling
programmes in countries around the world. Ambassador Hackett said that a lot of progress
has been made in combating the disease, but now it’s time to review and lay a clear
plan forward for what it is that faith based organisations, the churches, governments
and other agencies can do together for the future to eliminate this disease.Source:
VR