Civil Society &HIV Bill Brieger | 13 Jun 2008 03:05 pm
An integrated approach to HIV, TB and Malaria through FBOs
The Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) has a strategic 5-year plan for integrating its work on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. Some aspects for the rationale for an integrated approach include the following:
- Control of all three diseases is affected by the same overall quality of care issues including infrastructural and human resource needs
- Faith based organizations have the ability to reach communities and individuals impoverished and affected by all three diseases through their health services and parish programs
- Pastoral care does not distinguish people by the diseases they have, but sees them as whole persons
Specifically for the Anglican community, CAPA explained that, “The Church is uniquely positioned with the ability to reach out to communities through her organized network and constituencies. CAPA through her structure is able to reach over 40 million regular and faithful members of the Church in Africa through different gatherings that are routinely conducted on daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis using her vast human resource (skilled and unskilled Priest and Volunteers) and institutions.”
Other groups have recognized the value of integration. The Global Fund sees its Health System Strengthening component as an integrated way of addressing institutional bottlenecks that threaten control of all three diseases, as does WHO. Some grant supported programs, such as in Swaziland, already aim to strengthen the integration of TB and HIV/AIDS services.
Treatment of people and communities in a holistic way is an important goal, and may even achieve greater efficiencies and strengthen health systems to provide a greater range of quality services, not just support vertical programs.