PSI Steps Up Collaboration with Faith Groups to Fight AIDS

YAOUNDE, Cameroon, Nov. 26, 2003 — PSI, which has been collaborating with religious groups for years, has launched a global initiative in Africa to scale up its collaboration with faith-based organizations (FBOs) in developing countries around the world to fight HIV/AIDS more effectively.

The new initiative was kicked off at the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) 8th General Assembly on Nov. 26 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Eight hundred protestant church leaders from 40 African countries, whose congregations total over 100 million people, attended the weeklong event where the AACC and the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians agreed to partner with PSI to help curb the spread of HIV. PSI held workshops with youth and women church leaders to strengthen their roles in preventing HIV/AIDS.

Michael Magan, director of Faith-Based Initiative at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), was present at the launch and encouraged African church leaders to collaborate with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in this effort. He acknowledged the significant role that FBOs play in delivering health services and providing care and support throughout Africa. Mr. Magan highlighted the significance of collaboration between FBOs and NGOs, and urged PSI staff present to assist FBOs in this effort. He also promised that his office will do its best to ensure that FBOs have access to information regarding funding opportunities from the U.S. government.

The new initiative will combine PSI's three decades of experience using social marketing to motivate behavior change with the FBOs' local knowledge and ability to influence people with HIV/AIDS messages. Religious leaders play a powerful role in shaping the opinions, attitudes and behaviors of the followers of their faiths. PSI will work with FBOs so they are better able to educate their followers on HIV/AIDS prevention, correct misconceptions and fight stigma.

The Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians has joined PSI in the fight against a phenomenon known as cross-generational sex - the practice of older men engaging girls and young women in risky sexual behavior in exchange for gifts or financial support - which puts young women at increased risk for contracting HIV.

PSI has a history of enlisting the help of religious figures in the fight against AIDS, including Buddhist monks, Muslim imams and Christian leaders such as Nobel Peace Prize recipient South African Bishop Desmond Tutu.

The FBO initiative will be launched with other major faiths in 2004.

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Archbishop Desmond Tutu is one of the higher-profile religious leaders who have worked with PSI to spread behavior change messages.