Resources

Faith communities and faith-based organizations have a long history of caring for children and adolescents living with and affected by HIV. However, these efforts have not been well documented and hence their contributions have not been well understood nor resourced.…

Faith-based organizations (FBOs) play a crucial role in increasing access to maternal and newborn health (MNH) services worldwide. In developing countries, faith-based health care facilities provide a significant percent- age of health care services. With networks that reach even the…

The special section of this issue of AJPH (pp. 361–386) highlights the wide range of existing and potential partnerships between public health agencies and faith communities across domains of public health practice and religious traditions. The work of religious institutions serves as…

Tremendous progress against AIDS over the past 15 years has inspired a global commitment to end the epidemic by 2030. Of the 37.6 million people living with HIV, 20.9 million are accessing HIV treatment as of July 2017. Through support…

Religiously-motivated stigma regarding HIV may lead to denial and discrimination, preventing children and adolescents from receiving the critical care they need. Without treatment, HIV progresses rapidly and is often fatal in infants and children – almost 75% of untreated, HIV-infected…

The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), together with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), launched an initiative in 2015 to strengthen collaboration with faith-based partners in response to The Lancet Series on faith-based health care…

Religion plays an important role in many FP2020 priority countries, where faith leaders influence health-seeking behavior and faith based organizations (FBOs) provide a notable share of healthcare information, services and supplies. FBOs are seen as credible and trustworthy through their…

More than 200 million women in the developing world want to avoid pregnancy but currently are not using family planning. Family planning can contribute to reductions in maternal and child mortality and improve health and wellbeing. Christian hospitals, clinics, and…

This strategic FBO framework was developed to support and guide work already being undertaken globally, regionally and nationally by a diverse range of committed individuals
and organizations. The UNAIDS–FBO strategic framework is the result of an 18-month consultation process between the UNAIDS Secretariat and Cosponsors, many FBOs, networks
of people living with HIV, government representatives and technical experts during 2008–2009.

These khutbah and sermon guides were developed to empower religious leaders with the tools and skills to reach their congregations with key messages on pediatric HIV transmission and prevention; stigma and discrimination; and treatment, care, and support; as well as…

The Access - Infant and Maternal Health (AIM Health) program is a five-year initiative of World Vision Ireland. AIM Health focused on the nourishment of mothers and children, protection from infection and disease and overall essential health services. Based off…

A special issue focusing on both operational and ethical approaches to healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy, along with several other articles on faith based partnerships and developing community health workers. Click here for full journal

Using a triangulation design combining participant observation, survey results, and interviews, this paper studies the current form of the response to HIV in the local Anglican Church in the Western Cape, South Africa. The results show that people are generally…

As part of a USAID-funded global Strengthening High Impact Interventions for an AIDS-Free Generation Project, IMA’s role is to engage faith communities to increase community knowledge, and demand for and access to HIV services.

Collaborating for Sustainable HIV Community Care The Faith, Health Collaboration and Leadership Development Program (FHCLDP) is a multi-sector team-based model that builds partnerships among FBOs, HIV treatment programs, and civil society organizations. The collaboration supports sustainable, community-based HIV prevention and treatment services…

This report provides a thorough overview of the contributions of faith-based health systems and health facilities to the provision of HIV services in Kenya. The substantial contributions of faith-based health systems to healthcare services have been well-established; however the scope…

On May 28-30, 2012, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) organized a regional consultative forum in Limuru, Kenya, PEPFAR and Faith-Based Organizations: Partners in Sustaining Community and Country Leadership in Global HIV/AIDS. In collaboration with the Centers…

Religious leaders could help improve uptake of male circumcision in HIV-prevention effort Education of religious leaders had a substantial effect on uptake of male circumcision, and should be considered as part of male circumcision programmes in other sub-Saharan African countries.…

Early Diagnosis and Treatment for Children and Adolescents Living with HIV: Urgent Call by Religious and Faith-Inspired Organizations for Greater Commitment and Action   As professionals engaged in the response to the continuing and grave challenges posed by the HIV…

On World AIDS Day, the World Council of Churches launched Leading by Example: Religious Leaders and HIV Testing, a interfaith campaign that encourages religious leaders to inspire getting tested for HIV and especially to lead by example and have themselves tested for…

In July 2015, The Lancet published a series on faith-based health care. The Executive Summary states that “this Series argues that building on the extensive experience, strengths, and capacities of faith-based organisations (eg, geographical coverage, influence, and infrastructure) offers a…

The role of religion in shaping an effective global response to HIV and AIDS in a post-2015 framework was prominently featured at the AIDS 2016 conference in Durban, South Africa. Faith based and religious organisations are crucial partners in reaching…

In May 2012, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), in collaboration with St. Paul’s University (SPU) and Emory University’s Interfaith Health Program (IHP), hosted a consultation on the role of faith-based organizations (FBOs) in sustaining country and…

This paper examines the myriad of public health, sociological, political, and theological issues that are at play when faith-based organizations (FBOs) provide HIV prevention, treatment, and support services to adolescents. The paper offers a case study of these issues as…

The Early Childhood Development Program is a volunteer-implemented program that improves the holistic wellbeing of children and their families living in HIV/AIDS prevalent areas. Focus areas include child health, nutrition, and livelihoods strengthening activities for vulnerable families.

The  Review of Faith and International Affairs has just published a special series on Religion and Development See Journal here edited by Jill Olivier with a grant from JLIF&LC through DFID support Includes the following articles: Innovative Faith-Community Responses to HIV…

A Publication of Caritas Internationalis in collaboration with UNAIDS

The Framework for Dialogue is a tool for developing joint actions and ongoing discussions between religious leaders, faith-based organizations and networks of people living with HIV at national level. Evidence that quantifies and illustrates the experiences of people living with…

In early September, religious leaders and champions from 18 Eastern and Southern African countries gathered to discuss the fast track agenda for accelerated implementation of he response to the AIDS epidemic. A Call-to-Action was issued at the conference, which religious leaders…

Presentation for the UNAIDS and FBO Webinar on the Lancet Special Edition on Faith and Health Care, December 14, 2015. Full Webinar and presentations here: https://jliflc.com/sessions/unaids-webinar-on-the-lancet-special-edition-on-faith-and-health-care/

Presentation for the UNAIDS and FBO Webinar on the Lancet Special Edition on Faith and Health Care, December 14, 2015. Full Webinar and presentations here: https://jliflc.com/sessions/unaids-webinar-on-the-lancet-special-edition-on-faith-and-health-care/

Presentation for the UNAIDS and FBO Webinar on the Lancet Special Edition on Faith and Health Care, December 14, 2015. Full Webinar and presentations here: https://jliflc.com/sessions/unaids-webinar-on-the-lancet-special-edition-on-faith-and-health-care/

Presentation for the UNAIDS and FBO Webinar on the Lancet Special Edition on Faith and Health Care, December 14, 2015. Full Webinar and presentations here: https://jliflc.com/sessions/unaids-webinar-on-the-lancet-special-edition-on-faith-and-health-care/

Presentation for the UNAIDS and FBO Webinar on the Lancet Special Edition on Faith and Health Care, December 14, 2015. Full Webinar and presentations here: https://jliflc.com/sessions/unaids-webinar-on-the-lancet-special-edition-on-faith-and-health-care/

Presentation for the UNAIDS and FBO Webinar on the Lancet Special Edition on Faith and Health Care, December 14, 2015. Full Webinar and presentations here: https://jliflc.com/sessions/unaids-webinar-on-the-lancet-special-edition-on-faith-and-health-care/

UNAIDS and FBO Webinar on the Lancet Special Edition on Faith and Health Care, December 14, 2015. Video link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwMV95maT975dl9GVnRFVEd5b2s/view?usp=sharing Presentations and additional Webinar resources: https://jliflc.com/sessions/unaids-webinar-on-the-lancet-special-edition-on-faith-and-health-care/  

This PowerPoint outlines strong principles for partnerships and brings up questions to address when developing partnerships. Characteristics of several types of partnerships (funding mechanisms, formal partnerships, collaborative/coordination mechanisms, alliances, networks, and social movements) are discussed.

This report, prepared by UNAIDS and the Stop AIDS Alliance, draws on multiple sources to document the many ways in which communities are advancing the response to AIDS, and the evidence for the effectiveness of these responses.

Core areas of community-based activities include advocacy, service provision, community based research and financing; each of these areas is illustrated by examples of community based actions.

Andrew Tomkins, Jean Duff, Atallah Fitzgibbon, Azza Karam, Edward J Mills, Keith Munnings, Sally Smith, Shreelata Rao Seshadri, Avraham Steinberg, Robert Vitillo, Philemon Yugi http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)60252-5/abstract

Faith leaders, as trusted and respected members of their community, have played a hugely significant, and often unsung, role in the Ebola crisis. In the midst of confusion, fear and panic, communities have often turned to them for guidance. They…

This brief highlights potential areas for dialogue and action that build on common concern for families and social justice. It draws on the Georgetown University Berkley Center/World Faiths Development Dialogue (WFDD) 2011 review of faith and maternal health.

Report issued by Save The Children, May 2013

The Heythrop Journal Special Issue on Faith, Family, and Fertility: On Faith, Health and Tensions An Overview from an inter-governmental perspective

The leadership of the Church in the Philippines has historically exercised a powerful influence on politics and social life. The country is at least 80% Catholic and there is a deeply ingrained cultural deference for clergy and religious. Previous attempts in the last 14 years to pass a reproductive health law have failed because of the opposition of Catholic bishops. Thus the recent passage of the ‘Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012’ (R.A.
10354) was viewed by some Filipinos as a stunning failure for the Church and a sign of its diminished influence on Philippine society. This article proposes that the Church’s engagement in the reproductive health bill (RH Bill) debate and the manner of its discourse undermined its own campaign to block the law. The first part of the article gives a historical overview of the Church’s opposition to government family planning programs. The second part discusses key points of conflict in the RH Bill debate. The third part will examine factors that shaped the Church’s attitude and responses to the RH Bill. The fourth part will examine the effects of the debate on the Church’s unity, moral authority, and role in Philippine society. The fifth part will draw lessons for the Church and will explore paths that the Church community can take in response to the challenges arising from the law’s implementation.

When it comes to dealing with population growth, there are a number of misconceptions about the position of the Catholic Church. Official teaching during the twentieth century gradually moved toward the acceptance of limiting family size and endorsed the concept of responsible parenthood during the Second Vatican Council. One cannot, therefore, justifiably claim that the church is against birth control. It is an entirely different matter, however, when it comes to the practical question about how a couple might go about regulating fertility. Since the publication of Pope Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical, an intense controversy has taken place within the church about the use of artificial contraception. Behind that controversy lies an important methodological issue. For, the traditional teaching to which Paul VI returned in his letter was based upon the presumption that it is possible to morally judge a physical, material act without any consideration of the persons who performed that act, the circumstances within which it took place, or the reasons why the act was chosen. This behavioural approach to morality stands in some contrast to the way that other moral questions are dealt with. Inflicting pain or even taking a person’s life, for instance, can be justified for a good reason when one acts in a virtuous manner to instil discipline or safeguard justice. Until this methodological controversy is addressed, the problem of using artificial means to regulate fertility will not be resolved. A helpful key for solving the methodological ambiguities is to use moral language in a consistent and understandable manner.

More than 100 representatives of diverse Christian faith traditions, UNAIDS, WHO Stop-TB and HIV/AIDS Departments, UNITAID, the Global Fund, Vatican offices, governments, the medical and scientific community, and the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See gathered in Rome, on 25-26 February 2014. Their aim was to identify opportunities and challenges in expanding access to HIV treatment globally and strengthening the role of faith-based organisations (FBOs) in the provision of such services.

The “Christian Sermon Guide to Save the Lives of Mothers and Newborns” is a tool for Christian religious leaders on how to guide their followers through a safe reproductive process from pregnancy through infancy. It presents the magnitude of worldwide concern with maternal and infant mortality but argues that the problem is solvable. The instructions include not only guidelines for safe health and sanitation practices, but also recommendations for how Christian leaders might instill these standards and values in their congregations through addressing the issues in the context of sermons with Biblical references included.

The World Health Report 2004 – Changing History, published by the World Health Organization, calls for a comprehensive HIV/AIDS strategy that links prevention, treatment, care and long-term support. Until now, treatment has been the most neglected element in most developing countries: almost 6 million people in these countries will die in the near future if they do not receive treatment – but only about 400 000 of them were receiving it in 2003.

This “Best Practice” Report attempts to tell the story of the leadership exercised by the Catholic bishops of India, particularly through their national episcopal conference, and of the heroic and dedicated HIV-related service and teaching provided by Catholic Church-based organisations throughout the country.

The article attempts to demonstrate the key contribution by people of faith to the global HIV pandemic response. Special attention is paid to the work of the Catholic Church in this field in view of its vast infrastructure of education, health care, development and social service activities and of its exemplary efforts to coordinate an effective HIV response from global to grass roots levels. Independent evaluations and statistical data regarding the level and quality of faith-based engagement in this field are presented in order to demonstrate the basic premise of the article – i.e., that faith-based organisations
are lending exceptional energy, expertise, and experience in order to achieve the commitment of the international commitment to advance universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

This report reviews the work of faith-inspired leaders, communities, and organizations in worldwide efforts to reduce maternal mortality. Maternal mortality rates represent one of the most extreme cases of inequality in public health worldwide, but decades of global action have failed to remedy the gap between wealthy and poorer countries when it comes to maternal health. However, recent evidence that global maternal mortality is decreasing significantly, if gradually, has helped strengthen momentum and refocus attention on the issue.

This report reviews the work of faith-inspired leaders, communities, and organizations in worldwide efforts to reduce maternal mortality. Maternal mortality rates represent one of the most extreme cases of inequality in public health worldwide, but decades of global action have failed to remedy the gap between wealthy and poorer countries when it comes to maternal health. However, recent evidence that global maternal mortality is decreasing significantly, if gradually, has helped strengthen momentum and refocus attention on the issue.

Religious communities are critical players in the world of global development, but we know relatively little about their activities. The Luce/SFS Project on Religion and Global Development is devoted to closing that knowledge gap. It explores the role of religious groups and ideas in donor and developing countries and points to areas for greater religious-secular cooperation in the development field. The project supports faculty and student research and publications, development related courses, and an on-line databases that captures the activities of religious actors engaged in development activities worldwide.

Channels of Hope training approach described in French by Malian Imam.

Channels of Hope equip faith leaders to reduce HIV-related stigma in their communities and promote compassionate care for people and families affected by HIV. This video presents the experience of two Christian leaders from vastly different context – an Ugandan pastor and an Armenian Orthodox priest.

There is an urgent need to improve access for HIV-positive pregnant women to services that can dramatically reduce the transmission of HIV to their babies. Globally, approximately 45 per cent of women in resource-poor settings have access to prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services.1 There is growing recognition of the need to create greater awareness amongst HIV-positive women and others about the value of PMTCT in order to create demand for services at the community level and to support adherence and follow-up after delivery. In recent years, community-based mother support groups have played a key role in creating this awareness and building confidence among HIV-positive women to have access to these services. Mother support groups provide safe environments in which women can learn how to help themselves in making difficult decisions.

Many have observed that children are neglected in the HIV response. Within this there are sub groups of the most neglected who are very difficult to reach and may be overlooked, resulting in even greater levels of suffering. In a scenario of great need, and donor focus on results based payments, there may be a tendency to reach for the “low hanging fruit”. This research explores the challenges of reaching those most marginalised and hardest to reach children.

World Vision HIV & AIDS Fact Sheet

This report summarizes the USAID | Health Policy Initiative, Task Order 1 project titled The Role of Religious Communities in Addressing Gender-based Violence and HIV, which was designed and implemented by Futures Group International and Religions for Peace. Recognizing the importance of collaborating to prevent and reduce gender-based violence (GBV) and HIV among women and girls, the Initiative partners formulated the project to improve the capacity of religious leaders and faith-based organizations (FBOs) to respond to GBV and its links to HIV.

Global disparities in maternal and newborn health represent one of the starkest health inequities
of our times. Faith-based organizations (FBOs) have historically played an important role in providing
maternal/newborn health services in African countries. However, the contribution of FBOs in service delivery
is insufficiently recognized and mapped.

This third volume in the series focuses on ways to ‘map’ (in the different uses of that terminology) faith-inspired providers, and on assessment of their cost for patients and the extent to which they succeed in reaching the poor.

A review of the results of a consultation regarding how faith leaders and groups can and are contributing to the development of Latin America.

Extending Service Delivery (ESD)

This document examines whether and how FBOs’ approaches to development work are unique to NGOs engaged in similar activities in the same contexts.

A report summarizing the discussion of a meeting focusing on FBOs’ capacity, and partnerships. Coalition of German Institute for Medical Mission, World Council of Churches, Caritas Internationalis, Ecumenical Adovcacy Alliance and Norwegian Church Aid.

An evaluation report of the partnership between the United Kingdom Department of International Development and the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development.

This UNAIDS document describes the principle and rationale behind the Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV (GIPA) in national policies and programmes. It also discusses the challenges to implementing GIPA initiatives and describes a variety of effective ways to address these challenges.

This background paper presents regional strategies to strengthen the role of faith-based organizations in responding to HIV & AIDS. It brings attention to four key areas: access to essential services, building a supportive environment, strengthening the capacities of families and mobilizing and supporting community-based responses in addressing the needs of children affected by HIV and other vulnerable children in the EastAsia and Pacific region.

This background paper incorporates initial research carried out on the issue of faith, HIV and the
criminalisation of homosexuality.

This paper reflects on CAFOD’s thematic review and recommendation for HIV-related care and on the indications of how they will contribute to our HIV-related care and response work in the future.

This document presents a thematic review of CAFOD’s HIV-related care and mitigation work.

The Faithful House PMTCT Supplement builds upon the information presented in The Faithful House program. Information for facilitators and counselors supporting pregnant women who are HIV positive is included in this supplement.

The goal of this document is to provide faith leaders who frequently work with HIV/AIDS patients tips for pastoral care.

A summary of the HIV AIDS and Maternal Health JLI F&LC report.

The Final Report from the Joint Learning Initiative on Children and AIDS, founded by Dr Geoff Foster, which serves as a model for JLIF&LC Learning Hub approach to evidence gathering and communication.

This Report, a product of the JLI F&Lc Learning Hub on HIV AIDS and Maternal Health reviews the available data on the nexus between faith, maternal health and HIV AIDS development work, against the framework of specific questions. The report summarizes the evidence, discusses opportunities and challenges, makes recommendations for practice and for further research.