Africa Church Leaders Rally to Fight AIDS as Clergy Confess to Having HIV

Four religious leaders publicly confessed their positive HIV status at a forum organised by the 'Kenya Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV/AIDS', taking place in Nairobi, Kenya.

Anglican lay leader Gibson Mwangangi Mwadime (Kenya), pastor Amin Sandewa (Tanzania), Canon Gideon Byamugisha (Uganda) and Catholic priest Jape Heath of South Africa, spoke out about the disease, and in doing so won accolades from Kenya's Anglican Archbishop, the Most Rev Benjamin Nzimbi, and Information and Communications minister Raphael Tuju for their boldness.

Religious leaders, both Christian and Muslim from countries all over the continent claim the biggest causes for the slow progress in the fight against the pandemic is the fear of stigma and discrimination.

Archbishop Nzimbi, after hearing the testimonies of four religious leaders during the forum said: "Hearing the testimony today, I could not help shedding tears. I feel like an accused in a court. Coming out to fight stigma is a big and bold step."

Archbishop Nzimbi recognised the important role of the Church in this fight, since it may influence its believers and change their minds in a positive way, witnessing the hope and having the authority to push the progress forward.

He apologised on behalf of Church leaders for not facing the stigma and discrimination of those who are infected.

He said, "We want to apologise for the things which we have done and for leaving out things which we ought to have done."

Mr. Tuju commented: "We have come a long way and to be sitting in this room with religious leaders living and affected by HIV/AIDS. This is evidence that change is on the way. It will continue and it is inevitable."

Discrimination is not a rare problem that infected people and their relatives have to face. Pastor Sandewa said he had been discriminated against by his church soon after he was infected in 1999.

Mr. Mwadime, ministering in Taveta Anglican Diocese, told that he has had HIV/AIDS for more than 20 years and had lost his wife and two children to the disease. He had been infected by his wife soon after she had undergone a blood transfusion during an operation.

Most of the cases of infection by the deadly disease are avoidable, and what is needed is proper education on all levels to secure the prevention, building new treatment and care centres, and mainly, open dialogue without condemnation and discrimination searching for constructive solutions and strategies to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

"Many of Africa's deaths are preventable, postponable and reversible if only we can defeat the stigma, shame, discrimination, denial and inaction," declared Canon Byamugisha, infected for 18 years.

"We must defeat stigma. It frustrates God's world vision for mankind."

Mr. Heath, chairman of the African Network of religious leaders living with or personally affected by HIV/AIDS proclaimed: "Though HIV/Aids is bigger than the church, it is not bigger than God."