Bishops in anti-HIV campaign

African retired bishops have started a new campaign in the move to reverse the increasing prevalence rates of HIV/Aids among their communities. The religious leaders under the Global working group on faith started the campaign dubbed 2031 campaign to save families, communities and nations from HIV/Aids. Speaking at the African Union Retreat for retired and retiring bishops from the Eastern, Central and Southern Africa (ECSA) in Mityana, Rev. Can. Gideon Byamugisha, the Executive Director of Canon Gideon Foundation, said the intervention by religious leaders is to reduce the pace and tempo of the current HIV/Aids to overcome new infections, illnesses and deaths before the epidermic celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Bishop’s roles

Can. Byamugisha said the campaign is seeking to have leadership responsibility, moral mandate and partnerships needed to continue teaching in strong, public, unconditional and unapologetic terms that stigma, discrimination and violence towards people living with or vulnerable to HIV/Aids is unacceptable. The bishops’ meeting is aimed at laying strategies to reduce stigma, shame, denial, discrimination, inaction and mis-action (SSDDIM) as well as promoting safe practices for access to treatment, nutrition and empowerment of communities and nations to prevent and control infections and, illnesses and deaths. “We are targeting to reduce SSDDIM to halt, reverse and eventually overcome new HIV/Aids related challenges through leadership of the retiring and retired bishops, moderators and elders focusing on reflections, dialogues, meditation and prayer,” said Can. Byamugisha.

Involve young people

Mityana Diocese Rtd Bishop Wilson Mutebi said the campaign seeks to strengthen the infected as well as help youngsters to make informed choices.“Our hope is for each country to have a working group to reach all communities working together. I believe this kind of working will be emulated by other countries in the western world to champion life,” said Bishop Mutebi, the chairman of the global working group on faith, SSDDIM and HIV.