wfn.org | African Churches Detail 10-Point Plan for Addressing HIV/AIDS

[cfouke@ncccusa.org]

For Immediate Release
AACC Media Team: (011) 237 966 3059 or 3063

AFRICAN CHURCHES DETAIL TEN-POINT PLAN FOR ADDRESSING HIV/AIDS

November 26, 2003, Yaounde, Cameroon – African church leaders from
across 
the continent prayed, sang and spoke out boldly today (Nov. 26) during a 
day of reflection on HIV/AIDS and of commitment to defeat it.  

Delegates to the All Africa Conference of Churches 8th Assembly, meeting 
here Nov. 22-27, reviewed the dire facts and figures, heard testimonies 
from HIV-positive clergy and laity and adopted a 10-point
“covenant” for 
fighting the pandemic that includes the demand for affordable HIV/AIDS 
drugs including anti-retrovirals for all who need them.

To dramatize the importance of HIV screening, the Assembly offered free, 
voluntary on-site testing.  More people than expected came for testing, on-
site clinic staff confirmed. 105 of the Assembly’s some 800
participants 
were tested and, when supplies ran out, others were given vouchers for the 
next day.   

“As far as we are concerned, this is war,” said the Rev. Dr.
Mvume 
Dandala, General Secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches, 
meeting here in its 8th Assembly Nov. 22-27.   “We declare
unequivocally 
that HIV/AIDS is not the will of God for Africa we will try with all we 
have to resist it.”

At a candlelight vigil and service Wednesday evening (Nov. 26), he had 
strong words for international pharmaceutical companies and for countries 
in the northern hemisphere that are falling short in their support to the 
Global Fund.

“The church must resist an tendency by the pharmaceutical companies to
see 
Africa as an open market” for HIV/AIDS drugs because of the
virus’ 
prevalence on the continent, he said.  If that’s the way the 
pharmaceuticals see Africa, Dandala said, “it’s a sign of their
moral 
bankruptcy.”

The AACC meets in Assembly every five years or so.  The last Assembly was 
held in 1997 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.	The All Africa Conference of 
Churches is Africa’s most comprehensive ecumenical organization, with
169 
national member denominations and 27 national ecumenical councils – 
comprising 120 million Christians in 39 countries.

For this evening’s candlelight vigil, three phalanxes of about 1,000 
persons each processed on foot from three downtown Yaounde intersections 
to the headquarters of the Federation of Protestant Churches and Missions 
in Cameroon, the nation’s ecumenical council.  AACC Assembly delegates 
came by bus from their meeting site.

HIV/AIDS AN “INSIDIOUS TERRORIST,” MINISTER OF HEALTH SAYS

Addresses included words from Cameroon’s Minister of Health, Urbain 
Olanguena Owono, who praised the churches’ comprehensive commitment to 
fighting HIV/AIDS, to working against stigmatization of people with 
HIV/AIDS, and to extending care and compassion to the HIV/AIDS infected 
and affected.

“HIV/AIDS is the most awful and insidious destroyer of African
life,” he 
said.  “If we don’t stop this insidious terrorist, all our
development 
efforts may be in vain.”

Delegates stood to adopt a 10-point AACC covenant, which Dandala described 
as “a guiding document for all our churches as well as a position paper

that is going to give guidance to the kind of response the church has to 
give to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.”

“Africa is more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS because of poverty, inadequate 
health systems and “the unquestionable truth that the lack of access to

ARVs by the African people exacerbates the problem,” he said. 
“Gathered 
here together with our partners from around the world, we want to declare 
our commitment to seeking ourselves to find solutions in Africa that will 
help all Africans resist this pandemic.”

Dandala called for more research dollars for Africa’s scientists
seeking 
treatments and a cure, and for strengthening of Africa’s health
services – 
40 percent of which are in the hands of the church.

In the 10-point AACC covenant, delegates pledged to:

undertake HIV prevention for all people – Christian and non-Christian, 
married and single, young and old, women and men, poor and rich, black, 
white yellow, all people everywhere;

do all that is necessary to encourage both men and women to love, care, 
support and heal all infected and affected in communities throughout the 
continent;

undertake prophetic advocacy until anti-retrovirals are available to all 
who need them;
have zero tolerance for stigma and discrimination against HIV-positive 
persons, and do whatever possible to eliminate the isolation, rejection, 
fear and oppression of the infected and affected in the community;

work to empower the poor and denounce all laws and policies that have 
condemned billions to poverty, thus denying them their God-given rights, 
as well as quality care and treatment;

denounce gender inequalities that lead men and boys to risky sexual 
behaviour, domination and violence and that deny girls and women decision 
making powers in sexual matters, deprive them of property rights and 
expose them to violence;

empower and protect all children, denouncing laws and policies that expose 
them to sexual abuse and exploitation;

become a community of compassion and healing, an place for all People 
Living with AIDS to live openly and productively;

test for infection, abstain before marriage, be faithful in marriage and 
practice protected sex, for prevention should be seriously pursued to 
protect life;

declare jubilee and proclaim liberty, for until justice is served to all 
people, until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like an 
ever flowing stream, HIV/AIDS cannot be uprooted.

Carol Fouke with Dave Wanless	AACC	

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