Faith in action: Examining the role of Faith-Based Organizations in addressing HIV/AIDS.

Abstract

The HIV/AIDS pandemic has already claimed 23 million lives, 3 million in 2004 alone.1 With 39 million people now living with HIV/AIDS,1 the international community is working diligently to identify effective mechanisms to prevent HIV transmission and provide care, support and treatment for those living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Human and financial resources are woefully inadequate to meet the overwhelming level of existing need. It is, therefore, imperative that existing resources be used wisely, based on the best available evidence of what works. Recently, there has been significant interest on the part of both multilateral and governmental agencies to increase the role of faith-based/religious organizations (FBOs) in mobilizing HIV efforts. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that one in five organizations currently engaged in HIV/AIDS programming is faith-based.2 However, the plan to increasingly involve FBOs in delivering HIV/AIDS services is not without controversy. The opportunities made available for faith-based organizations to compete for funding have generated concern that ideological considerations are overtaking sound empirical evidence of their effectiveness in delivering health services as the basis for funding decisions.3 ABOUT THE STUDY Despite widespread acknowledgement that many FBOs provide services and programming around HIV/AIDS, there are limited analytic assessments of FBO activities.4 In the interest of better informing the dialogue surrounding FBO involvement, the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) commissioned the Global Health Council to conduct an independent analysis of the role of FBOs in addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Recognizing that stakeholder perceptions have a significant bearing on this issue, we interviewed key decision makers actively involved in HIV/AIDS activities in six countries chosen to represent different regions, stages of the epidemic, and religious traditions. More than 200 key informants working in Haiti, India, Kenya, South Africa, Thailand and Uganda and the international arena were interviewed. Using an interview guide based on The Global Strategy Framework for HIV/AIDS,5 we asked our informants to provide their perspectives and perceptions, based on their own experience, on the past, present and optimal future roles of FBOs. Faith in Action reports on the in-depth analysis of these interviews and explores the following key questions: ● What actions are FBOs perceived to have taken to mitigate the impact of HIV through the provision of HIV/AIDS-related care, support and treatment? ● What behavior-change communication strategies are FBOs perceived to have used to reduce risk of transmission? ● What measures are FBOs perceived to have taken to affect the environment or circumstances that contribute to vulnerability of women? ● What is the perceived accountability of FBO programs in terms of basis for programming and empirical assessment of program effectiveness? ● How are FBOs perceived to have contributed to the formation of HIV/AIDS public policy within countries? FINDINGS Mitigating the Impact of HIV/AIDS: Providing Care, Treatment and Support. In most study countries, most notably in Kenya and Uganda, FBOs are thought to successfully utilize their existing networks of hospitals and clinics to serve the health-care needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWAs). Although the extent of their health infrastructures varies con-