Church urged to focus on young people with AIDS

Monday, December 5th, 2022

World AIDS Day was marked on 1 December with some priests, church and agency officials saying the Catholic Church must focus more on young people living with HIV in Africa.

“There is a need (for the churches) to do more.

“Unfortunately, this is the category of the youth who are at risk of being invisible in the church,” Jesuit Father Ismael Matambura, director of the African Jesuit AIDS Network, told Catholic News Service.

“Often, we cannot account for them. It is more visible that the church has not taken the issues of stigma and youth living with HIV as part of their core pastoral ministry.

“If all the parishes in Africa, for example, put the issue of youth at the centre in all dimensions of their services, including HIV, we could cover so much ground,” said Matambura.

He added that the church has the capacity and structures to deliver the transformation needed to reduce the burden of HIV on the continent.

Matambura’s comments come at a time when the first generation of children living on antiretroviral drugs since birth enters their teenage years or early 20s.

According to experts in the sector, the group is facing a host of challenges, including stigma, lack of health services and economic opportunities and misinformation, especially from social media.

Many young people fear disclosing their status because of the stigma.

But as they also struggle with the challenges, experts say the category of those taking antiretrovirals is extremely crucial in the fight against the pandemic.

Teresa Odhiambo, a lay leader in charge of family life in the Kisumu Archdiocese, said it was easy to see that the church has not prioritised youth living with HIV and AIDS.

“I think as a church, we have failed somewhere in this line because when we are talking about family life, our concern is families and married couples. We forget the youth,” she said.

Odhiambo added that young people with HIV were very secretive and fearful.

“If they can think about their age and being HIV positive, that almost makes them crazy, but they need our support and counselling.

“I think, if we can encourage the young people, many can come out. They are our children. We must take care of them. This is very important for the church,” she said, calling for more education and training.

The African Jesuit AIDS Network works in 16 African countries, providing services to people living with HIV and leprosy, among other diseases.

In 2002, it developed a programme called AHAPPY Generation.

The programme educates young people across the continent on how to stay free of HIV and AIDS.

Young people promote HIV and hepatitis testing campaigns through the programme.

In schools, AHAPPY clubs are contributing to reduced stigma, among other activities.

“We believe that forming the conscience of the young people positions them to take responsible choices in the right mindset,” said Father Matambura.