When I was visiting communities in the Moshi rural area in Tanzania in July 2007, I always noticed that the church was the center of the community. Whether the reason was that church was a central meeting ground for the community, supported their religious organization, or where people found their connection with the larger world, the church was a fundamental component of each community. It seems that the central role of the religious institution (whether it be church, mosque or temple) can be extrapolated to many parts of the developing world. People regard the words of the religious leader with particular attention and preeminence. Some people suggest that religious leaders have not played a positive role in confronting societal stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. I’d like to offer a different perspective that the leader can be an influential voice to breaking down these barriers within communities. In addition to breaking down stigma, what else can the network of religious institutions throughout the world contribute to the fight against HIV/AIDS?

Religious institutions often play a larger role than the state in shaping the viewpoints of the people in developing countries. Poverty in these regions encourages more people to engage in risky behavior, increasing chances for an individual to become infected with the HIV virus. Precautions are not taken to avoid this behavior because of a lack of information or a lack of choice. Religious leaders have a unique opportunity to stress adherence to religious values as a way to avoid becoming infected; people are more inclined to listen to a religious leader it encourages people to abide more closely by their religious tenets.

It is important that community members become fully aware of the ways in which the disease is spread so that people can become knowledgeable about the ways that they can prevent its transmission. Open discussion about ways to prevent HIV/AIDS will strengthen the dialogue within the community and motivate community members to modify their behavior. This behavior change would have the impact of not only reducing the stigma and the risk of infection of community members. Advocating these ideas will show the application of religious beliefs to societal problems. By communicating the message to churchgoers, a larger crowd is reached than through civil society groups, or other groups divided along social or socioeconomic lines. From my experiences, I view religious leaders as instrumental to inspiring community members to change their behavior with respect to stigmatization and engagement in risky behavior.

Both local and international religious institutions have launched innovative programs in East Africa, which highlight the influence that religious leaders and institutions can have on HIV/AIDS through improving access to health care and reducing stigma. Working within the framework of religious institutions would increase access to health care to geographic areas that would ordinarily have limited access. Pastor Rick Warren, who is known for his P.E.A.C.E. Plan in Kibuye region, Rwanda, points out that there is a very high church to health facility ratio. The Kibuye region, which has one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Rwanda, there are three hospitals and 24 health clinics, but 728 churches. With proper training for local religious leaders and community members, this network of churches could be used as health service distribution points to effectively reach more people with care, treatment and prevention services. The dense concentration of religious institutions throughout the region enables these programs to come together in a way that is convenient, tailored to local communities, and likely to result in the reduction of stigma and HIV/AIDS prevalence rates.

Much to his surprise, a Ugandan Anglican Reverend named Canon Gideon Byamugisha found out that he was HIV-Positive in 1992. Canon Gideon was the first African religious leader to publicly declare that he is HIV-Positive, which has been considered one of the most important barriers to break through in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Because of his influential position as Canon and his public struggle against the disease, he works with other religious leaders, civil society groups and policy makers on prevention programs and combating the stigma. Canon Gideon believes that the Anglican and Catholic churches are very influential over Ugandans, and were critical to achieving the behavioral change resulting in an HIV/AIDS prevalence rate reduction from around fifteen to five percent in the 1990s. Canon Gideon has shown the leadership role that a religious leader can play to take the charge in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Other religious leaders have been following the precedent that Canon Gideon has set; fifty religious leaders gathered in Rwanda to publicly receive HIV/AIDS tests in an attempt to reduce stigma and to show the importance of all people to know their status.

One challenge that religious leaders must confront is the societal challenges that lie outside of situations traditionally within their religious frameworks. How does a religious leader propose solutions within societies where polygamy and concurrent partnerships are widespread,? How do religious leaders reconcile their viewpoints when their priorities are different than those proposed by large international organizations such as UNAIDS or the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria? The network of religious leaders and institutions is in an exclusive position to promote awareness about the spread of HIV/AIDS and reduce stigma, and has been contributing positively to prevalence reduction efforts. To successfully tackle the challenges HIV/AIDS pose, it is important to focus on the positive change that each institution can contribute to reducing HIV/AIDS incidence and prevalence rates.