HIV Work

Submitted by Lyn on Tue, 06/18/2019 - 13:14
Lyn has been involved in HIV work since 2003 - mostly in the NPO and faith-based spaces. HIV cannot be seen in isolation and often intersects with other social justice issues such as inequality, gender, poverty, mental illness and disability, etc. She continues to consult to various organisations dealing with HIV in the local and global arena: 
 
After more than 35 years, it is easy to think that the HIV epidemic is no longer a problem. In general communication, we have increasingly heard about "the end of AIDS". The global HIV response set ambitious targets for 2020 and 2030 - dreaming of a time when HIV is no longer a public health threat and where AIDS no longer causes devastation.

Although there has been dramatic breakthroughs in treatment and prevention, we are far from reaching our targets.

Sadly many previously active and successful faith-based HIV programmes have been discontinued. They can be many reasons for this: Lack of finance, lack of information about the actual effect of the epidemic, many other challenges competing for time, resources, and focus, and maybe even apathy.

We hear over and over that that stigma remains one of the most significant barriers to access to many of the new developments. Stigma prevents people from testing, from accessing treatment care and support, prevents communities from playing their role in addressing the challenges of HIV, and sadly also prevents faith communities from playing the role they could and should.

There has been a new and increased call for faith communities to again step up and become involved. Although many of the needed actions and responses remain unchanged, the changing nature of the epidemic also calls on us as people of faith to think anew about how we will be responding. 

In this section of the website, I will highlight different activities and programs in which I am involved, and share resources.