Interfaith Health Platform
Dear colleagues and friends,
The resources of the webinar on Challenges to Paediatric HIV Care, hosted last week (Tuesday 30 May), by the Interfaith Health Platform of the PEPFAR – UNAIDS Faith Initiative are available at: https://www.interfaith-
The webinar, Challenges to paediatric HIV care, draw on the findings from the 2022 HIV clinical care data analysis – The Contributions of Faith-based Health Providers in Kenya Toward the 95-95-95 Treatment Goals. This analysis of health services data in Kenya, conducted by the Academic Consortium (Emory University and Lemuru University) of the PEPFAR – UNAIDS Faith Initiative highlights the decrease in pediatric services that occurred during the midst of COVID-19.
The study confirms that the percentage of HIV clinical services provided by the faith sector has remained remarkably consistent. Faith-based facilities are essential providers in high incidence/ prevalence counties. The study also shows that there was an increase in treatment visits for adults and adolescents during COVID, but there was a marked decrease in pediatric treatment.
The webinar offered the opportunity to examine whether those decreases in coverage are persisting as we emerge from the pandemic. The discussion then moved to identify persistent gaps and challenges in pediatric HIV service delivery and elimination of mother-to-child transmission, as well as lessons learned from the COVID-19 response to improve interventions in emergency/crisis situations. In particular, we focused on the Baby Shower Initiative, which complements facility-based approaches and reached women and partners who would have not otherwise accessed facility-based care.
The PEPFAR – UNAIDS Faith Initiative is now pleased to invite all of you to the Launch of the Compendium of Promising Practices on the role of African faith community interventions to end paediatric and adolescent HIV, which will take place in hybrid format on occasion of the 52nd session of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board.
Date: Monday 26 June 2023
Time: 15h00-15h45, Geneva
Venue: Palais des Nations, Room XXVII. For in person participation, kindly register at https://indico.un.org/
Hybrid event: For virtual participants, please register at https://www.interfaith-
Interpretation: English-French
In this session, we delve into the FBOs contribution to the fight against pediatric and adolescent HIV.
The Compendium of promising practices showcases the transformative impact of faith-based approaches, highlighting innovative strategies, programs, and interventions that have saved lives.
Objectives
The event will:
- Launch the Compendium of promising practices by faith communities to end paediatric and adolescent HIV in Africa.
- Highlight the role that faith communities play in the HIV response to meet the needs of children and adolescents.
- Discuss ways to scale-up faith communities’ future activities, particularly in initiatives such as the Global Alliance to End AIDS in Children by 2030 and Africa Reach.
Participants
Expected participants include members of UNAIDS PCB, representatives of Permanent Missions in Geneva, Civil Society Organizations, FBOs, UN agencies, people living with HIV and PCB participants.
Additional information about the launch of the Compendium is available at https://www.interfaith-