AEGiS-06IAC: The essential role of the Church in AIDS care, prevention and control in Africa.

6th International AIDS Conference

San Francisco, California, USA — June 20-23, 1990

The essential role of the Church in AIDS care, prevention and control in Africa.

Int Conf AIDS 1990 Jun 20-23; 6:330 (abstract no. Th.D.818)
Campbell I, Rader A, Malama M, Bodwell S; The Salvation Army Chikankata Hospital, Zambia

OBJECTIVE: To describe the role of the Christian Church as an integrative influence in AIDS care and prevention, especially in Africa.

METHOD: The concept of integration is defined, and the following areas are discussed: 1) why responses to AIDS by secular organizations will be significantly less effective without the participation of the Church; 2) why the Church is less effective than it should be; 3) a strategy for AIDS control based on participation of the Church.

RESULTS: 1) Spiritual acknowledgement is key to community consciousness in Africa and in turn to balanced decision making about lifestyle in the context of AIDS control. 2) The Church, as with many non-medical networks, underestimates the numerical significance of the epidemic. 3) The Church can make a unique contribution in pastoral care in the context of an integrated management approach. The Church has resources: people and physical facilities. 4) Models for response are proposed: a) medically based with reference to the Churches' Medical Association of Zambia, and b) inter-sectoral collaboration at district level.

CONCLUSION: The Church in Africa represents a strongly organized, vast, yet unutilized network. Mutual dependence between Church and secular bodies needs to be acknowledged, and is required, to encourage the development of programs which will be sustained, and which are likely to promote realistic control strategies.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Africa, Disease Outbreaks, Pastoral Care, Social Support, Christianity, Zambia, prevention & control, ICA6

900620
ThD818