Where Faith Meets Advocacy for the Black Church and Its Response to HIV/AIDS

Phill Wilson, the executive director of the Black AIDS Institute, has fought the AIDS epidemic in the Black community for more than 30 years. In this photo, Wilson, the executive director of Black AIDS Institute, asks a question during the Institute’s annual PrEP Summit in Washington, D.C. (Freddie Allen/BAI)

It’s no secret that HIV/AIDS advocates and the Black church have not always seen eye to eye. However, a new faith-based initiative could create more collaboration between those groups than ever before.

The United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and UNAIDS have launched a $4 million two-year initiative to strengthen the capacity of faith-based organizations to respond to HIV/AIDS.

The effort will focus on five areas: collecting, analyzing and disseminating data; strengthening leadership and advocacy; addressing stigma and discrimination; improving the provision of HIV-related services; and increasing demand for HIV services and ensuring that people remain in care.

“Faith has played a critical role in the trajectory of the HIV/AIDS pandemic,” said Phill Wilson, president and CEO of the Black AIDS Institute. “This initiative helps us expand the engagement of faith-based organizations, including those in the U.S., in efforts that are aligned with the UNAIDS and various efforts to end the pandemic.”

Click here to read more

Source: New Pittsburgh Courier Online | Tamara E. Holmes