'Religious' Stigma Kills Faster Than HIV - Rev. John Azumah Cautions Pastors, Imams, Others
You would think that the house of God or Allah is where one should feel safe; however, reports have indicated that that is where discrimination and stigmatisation especially towards persons living with HIV exist more.
The question most often asked is why one would comfortably seat beside a person with diabetes, or malaria in church or a mosque yet refuse to seat or interact with persons living with HIV.
Many still have the notion that if they seat or touch an HIV-infected person, they will also get infected.
In view of this, Christian and Muslim leaders have been sensitized on how to educate their members to avoid stigmatizing or discriminating against persons living with HIV.
Speaking at the workshop which was organized by Inerela Ghana, Rev John Azumah who has been living with the virus for 22 years said stigmatization in the various religious organizations kills faster than HIV itself and that the Pastors and Imams need to help in educating their members.
He recounted how he disclosed his status to his head Pastor and he ended up leaving the church because the Man of God said he couldn't work with him any longer.
"Stigmatisation in our religious bodies is high and kills faster than the virus itself. If the Pastor said this how much more members? The religious leaders are doing their best but they can do better. The religious setting should be a place of love, acceptance" he intimated.
He further urged the religious leaders to encourage members who get infected with the virus to take their antiretroviral drugs and not pollute their minds that they will be healed by faith or anointing oil or other concoction.
Listen to him in the video below
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Meanwhile, speaking at the same programme, Madam Mercy Acquah-Hayford, Executive Director of Inerela has called on government to empower various agencies that work with HIV/AIDS advocacy, especially as funding has become a challenge for most of them.
"We wish that govt will empower the agencies that work with HIV to do more advocacy work and then have a lot of talk shows, and jingles; that alone can get people informed. Otherwise, the cases can go up…so govt should also step up to get the campaign going" she added.
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