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.

All Africa Conference of Churches
Written by Carol Fouke (NCCC) with Dave Wanless (AACC)