Responses to the Global HIV and AIDS Pandemic: A Study of the Role of Faith-Based Organisations in Lesotho

This article attempts to establish the key contribution by people of faith to the global HIV pandemic response, using Lesotho as a case study. Particular focus is paid to the work of selected religious organisations in Lesotho in this context, assessing their capacities to coordinate an effective HIV and AIDS action at the grassroots levels through education, health care, development, and social service activities. Empirical evaluations and findings regarding the level and quality of faith-based engagement in this field establish the basic premise of this article, namely, that faith-based organisations are contributing energy, expertise, and experience in order to achieve the commitment of the global commitment to advance universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, and support. Although the article is particularly focused on the Lesotho context, its tremendous implications for simulated studies and approaches across Sub-Saharan Africa are accentuated.

...Advocacy is another area in which the role of Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs) might be expanded. Some FBOs have assumed an advocacy role for PLWH, advocating for greater access to health care, antiretrovirals (ARV), or workplace rights. These advocacy efforts can be quite important in countering the effects of discrimination or simple lack of attention.

Collaboration with other organisations is needed. If FBOs are to play a constructive role in addressing HIV in collaboration with the health care system, they must also recognise the unique and complementary strengths that each sector can bring to addressing it. There are also a series of activities that they can assume in collaboration with the health care system: 

• Complement the activities of others by addressing gaps outside the scope of others' missions or that others are unable to complete, for example, by establishing housing projects for PLWH and hospices and facilitating income-generating activities in which PLWH could engage once their health has been stabilised by ARV.
• Reinforce the activities undertaken by others, for example, by reinforcing prevention messages, counselling congregations on safe sex practices, and encouraging people to get tested.
• Facilitate the activities of other organisations, for example, by offering opportunities for health officials to promote the use of condoms in conjunction with other activities that FBOs are directly responsible for organising.
• Support the activities undertaken by others, for example, by recognising the efforts of others and encouraging people to support other organisations' programmes.

Like elsewhere around the world, FBOs have engaged in a wide range of HIV and AIDS prevention activities in Lesotho, but have tended to focus on certain ones. There was evidence of some FBO activity in HIV prevention with high-risk groups (sex workers, MSM) and broader involvement in ‘abstinence-only’ strategies targeted at youth. Less frequently conducted prevention activities included HIV testing, and condom education and distribution. There were also FBOs involved in a wide range of care and support activities, most frequently medical care and pastoral care and social support of PLWH and families. Less frequent social support activities include those related to nutrition, income generation, and housing. Finally, participants revealed FBO involvement in a variety of stigma-reduction and advocacy-related activities, including raising general community awareness about HIV as well as targeted efforts to build networks of PLWH and ensure treatment access...

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By:   Olowu D1.

• 1a Doctor of Juridical Sciences, School of Law , American University of Nigeria (http://www.aun.edu.ng/) , Yola , Nigeria .
• SAHARA J. 2015 Dec;12(1):76-86. doi: 10.1080/17290376.2015.1124802.
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