Resources

Global interfaith network that brings together religious leaders and faith organisations of diverse faith backgrounds to focus on a common agenda of family health and wellbeing http://faithtoactionetwork.org/our-network/

Center for Interfaith Action on Global Poverty The center, with funding from the GHR Foundation, published an evaluation and analysis of NIFAA's early work in 2011, two years after NIFAA's founding. The report demonstrated NIFAA "offers a sustainable and replicable…

This excel spreadsheet contains all of the recommendations recorded by each of the discussion groups during the five working sessions of the conference: Health Systems Strengthening, Ebola & HIV, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, Humanitarian and Disaster Relief, and Large Scale…

The contents of this report have been drawn from 40 interviews with senior development professionals held during February and March 2015. A small number of members of faith-based organisations
(FBOs) also took part. The exercise was commissioned by the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (JLIF&LC) to understand the key opportunities and challenges that could be addressed through the forthcoming conference on public sector partnering with FBOs.

Cover page and table of contents may be viewed at Emory University's page on Religion and Public Health Collaboration here. Book may be purchased at Oxford University Press' website here Description from Oxford University Press: Frequently in partnership, but sometimes…

This document illustrates responses to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa by a range of faith-inspired organizations (FIOs) and communities. In addition to these resources, several events have been held with faith actors including a USAID conference call1 October 3 with faith-based and community partners implementing programs in response to Ebola.

The Ebola epidemic in West Africa highlights the special difficulties involved in responding to infectious diseases in fragile state settings with weak healthcare systems. Governments and international organizations are mobilizing rapidly to support public and private emergency systems in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone (as well as preparedness in neighboring states), but the needs and speed of the epidemic currently overwhelm available capacities (local and international). Challenges are exacerbated by the epidemic’s fast pace and changing dynamics. Informed predictions point to a continuing escalation of cases and to wide‐ranging, grave repercussions for economies and societies, including threats to basic healthcare and food supplies, across the region. The crisis demands immediate responses along many urgent dimensions but also points to underlying, longer term needs that call for new directions in development strategies. Networks of religious and faith‐inspired actors are a resource that could magnify the impact of urgent responses and recovery plans.

Katherine Marshall Senior Fellow, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and the World Faiths Development Dialogue (WFDD) organized a meeting on October 6 Summary of what is…

Report of an independent mid-term evaluation of the Faiths United for Health program, a pilot program of the Nigerian Inter-Faith Action Association (NIFAA) that uses an interfaith action approach to train Muslim and Christian religious leaders to educate and motivate Nigerians to undertake behavior change in the fight against malaria. This report details NIFAA’s promising early work to mobilize religious leaders to use their influence to increase usage rates of insecticide-treated bed nets, as well as increasing other action against malaria. Produced with funding support from GHR Foundation.

In December 2013, representatives from 12 faith-based organisations came together to explore and articulate a theory of change for faith group and community mobilisation. The process examined assumptions about what success looks like and how we contribute to change; and specifically analyzed the role of faith, drawing on any existing evidence base. A small working group then met together in July 2014 to draw together the theory of change. Throughout the process, the group was careful to surface both similarities and differences. The theory of change diagram captures the core underlying beliefs that the group hold in common, while the narrative explains the diagram, fills in more detail and highlights areas of debate and that need further learning and testing.

World Vision’s HIV and AIDS response strategy focuses on building the capacity of communities to prevent the spread of HIV and on providing care and advocacy for people living with HIV and for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). The Channels of Hope (CoH) methodology, one of World Vision’s three core HIV and AIDS response models, is used to mobilise the infrastructure, organisational capacity, pool of current and potential volunteers, and unmatched moral authority of local churches and faith communities towards positive action on HIV and AIDS. Once they have been mobilised, World Vision works with churches and faith-based organisations to co-ordinate and equip sustainable, community-based HIV and AIDS programmes with an emphasis on reaching OVCs in need of care and support.

In the communities where WV works, many serious issues often limit improved child well-being (CWB). These might include violence against children, poor birth spacing, gender inequality, early marriage, wife inheritance, malnutrition, early marriage, gender-based violence, HIV infections, TB and malaria, trafficking, and more.

The central argument in the paper is that development is primarily about safeguarding and enhancing the dignity of human beings. Human dignity originates from God who has singled out humankind from other creations and favoured it in several ways. We are the only creatures that contain the Divine spirit which was placed in humankind by God during creation (Qur’an, 15:29). God has also distinguished humans from the rest of creation by endowing us with intellect (‘aql). Further, God has given humans the custodianship (khalifa) of the rest of creation on earth.

The success of integrated sustainable development (ISD) entirely rests upon a firm foundation of sound analysis of the following: Start-up assessment, Well-being and assets, Structural causes of poverty, Vulnerabilities to shocks and climate change, Opportunity analysis.

The extent of faith-based organizations’ participation within the overall health systems of developing countries is unclear. Recent reports state that faith-based organizations play a substantial role in providing healthcare in developing countries, cited in some publications as up to 70% of all healthcare services. The data behind these numbers are sometimes difficult to pinpoint and seem at odds to national and regional survey data.

A background document used by the UNHCR on faith and development as it relates to refugees.

A review of DREAM, Drug Resources Enhancement Against AIDS and Malnutrition, created by the Community of Sant’Egidio to fight AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. This project uses Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART), alongside treating malnutrition, TB, malaria, and STIs, as well as health education, to promote a holistic approach to healthy living.

A review of HIV and AIDS care-givers from sub-Saharan Africa. This report highlights their importance, and states htat 90% of HIV care is done at home by family or community members.

This literature review by ARHAP focuses on the intersection of religion and health in sub-Saharan Africa, mostly focusing on HIV/AIDS spanning a 10 year period. This review provides insight into how these systems interact and poses questions for further research.

A review of Tearfund partners in Chad and Malawi exploring how local, faith-based responses to HIV strengthen health systems. Research focuses on Christian organizations and national and local-level stakeholders.

A review of research from Malawi, DRC, and South Africa regarding practices and opinions of sexual health and couple decision making.

A review of efforts of faith based providers working to improve maternal health.

IHP, in partnership with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), has published this resource guide and toolkit.  The Model Practices Framework provides strategies to identify and engage faith-based organizations as partners in community health promotion and disease…