By Santosh Digal
Chiang Mai, THAILAND – Christian Churches across Asia are to help combat HIV/AIDS.
As part of the special HIV/AIDS programme, Action Together to Combat HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA), and the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) developed a module to help the churches and ecumenical councils in Asia to be engaged in effective advocacy to combat HIV/AIDS.
A workshop, organized by CCA with expert assistance from the United Nation’s AIDS (UNAIDS) programme, was held from 12 to14 March at the CCA headquarters in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
The participants of the workshop included experts working in the field of HIV/AIDS advocacy from the UNAIDS, National Council of Churches, Christian hospital networks, social development organizations and Christian mission agencies.
Dr. Salil Panakadan, UNAIDS Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, explained the situation of HIV/AIDS problem in Asia. He described how the prevalence trend is increasing in some Asian countries.
The role of Churches and faith-based organizations, including the Catholic Church, in complementing and contributing to the advocacy initiatives at the global, regional and local levels to combat HIV/AIDS was a key concern discussed at the workshop.
While sharing the best practices from the region in responding to HIV/AIDS, the participants opined, “The menace of HIV/AIDS is evident everywhere, in communities, churches and around all of us, and the churches need to be instruments of initiating healing processes for those who are infected and affected.”
“Churches, Ecumenical Councils, and Christian organizations have to play key roles in reducing the stigma and discrimination, for which churches should focus on providing psycho-social support as well as access to testing, treatment, care, and support,” the expert group suggested.
Dr. Ronald Lalthanmawia and Jay Roy Tipayan, both coordinators of ATCHAA, facilitated the workshop and said, CCA will organize a series of activities in the coming months as part of the ATCHAA to combat the HIV/AIDS in Asia.
“All have to work together to respond effectively to HIV/AIDS,” Tipayan said.
Caritas Asia, one of the seven regional offices under the Confederation of Caritas Internationalis, with its 24 member organizations in respective countries in Asia, has been undertaking HIV/AIDS control and prevention in the region as well.
The Asia and Pacific region is home to the second highest number of people living with HIV in the world – an estimated 5.1 million in 2016, according to UNAIDS data. Three countries – China, India, and Indonesia – account for around three-quarters of the total number of people living with HIV in the region.
In 2016, there were an estimated 270,000 new infections in the region. Though the period 2010 – 2016 saw an overall decline of 13% in new infections, progress in reducing new infections has slowed in recent years and new HIV infections are on the rise in some countries.
The epidemic is largely characterized by concentrated and growing epidemics in a variety of countries, particularly among key affected populations including men who have sex with men, sex workers, people who inject drugs and transgender people. Low national prevalence masks much higher prevalence among these groups and in specific locations, particularly urban areas.
The HIV epidemic varies widely from country to country and within certain countries depending on context. This highlights the importance of tailoring responses to each country context. UNAIDS suggests that a ‘location and population’ approach would maximize the impact of scarce resources.5
Progress in tackling the epidemic varies by geographical area. The epidemics in South and South-East Asia are decreasing, while in East Asia, HIV infections are rising.
Prevention programmes across the region have succeeded in reducing new HIV infections by 13% since 2010. However, late diagnosis remains a key area of concern.
Many countries in Asia and the Pacific have punitive and stigmatizing laws in place which prevent members of key affected populations accessing services and work to reinforce HIV stigma in the region.
Radha (not real name), an HIV patient from Indonesia, refuses to accept that he got it, despite doctors have told him the fact after a series of laboratory tests a few months ago. Doctors further advised him that he needs to accept it and take treatment, which he refuses to do so thinking that he has no HIV. One of his two minor sons also has been confirmed with HIV. Sadly his wife died of HIV on March 14 after six months of diagnosis and medication. Radha thinks that his wife got HIV due to food and advised her to take local herbal medicine, tender coconut juice and do indigenous sorcery with a local Hindu priest as a treatment.
A local NGO that is working with HIV/AIDS is trying to convince Radha and undergo the counseling programme and take the required medication, this was shared with MattersIndia.
Some 71 % of Asia and the Pacific are aware of their HIV status, of which 66% are on HIV treatment, of which 83 % are virally surprised, according to UNAIDS data 2016.