. Chilufya

By CHUSA SICHONE and HELLEN TEMBO –
Government and major church organisationshave strongly condemned men of the cloth who are preaching faith healing over HIV-AIDS treatment, saying they are endangering the lives of their flocks.
In separate interviews, Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya, Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) secretary-general Cleopas Lungu and Bible Gospel Church in Africa (BIGOCA) Overseer Bishop Peter Ndlovu said people of faith could still pray and take their Anti-Retro-Viral drugs (ARVs).
Dr Chilufya said clergy who were advising the HIV-positive among their congregants to shun taking life prolongingARVs in the belief that they will be healed through prayers alone were being irresponsible.
“ARVs prolong life and clerics who are encouraging people living with HIV or AIDS to stop treatment are endangering lives,” he said in response to reports that some preachers are asking members of their churches to demonstrate their faith in God by abandoning ARV treatment.
Dr Chilufya said Government viewed the church as a critical stakeholder in the fight against HIV/AIDS because they shared the same audience and was determined to engage religious leaders in encouraging the continued use of ARVs.
Dr Chilufya explained that people living with HIV must take ARVs to suppress the viral load, prevent infecting others and ensure that the country had HIV-free children.
“So the church are key stakeholders and we must use the platform to reach out to everybody that ARVs are the hope of today and children who are positive must take ARVs. That way we will have better development for our children and better health for our children,” he said.
Dr Chilufya said Government would also engage traditional leaders and the media in encouraging HIV testing and treatment and was optimistic that through concerted efforts, the country could eliminate HIV/AIDS before 2030.
Dr Chilufya said currently 1.2 million people in Zambia were living with HIV, of which 850,000 were on ARVs.
He expressed confidence that the ‘test and treat’ approach would result in everyone living with HIV being put on antiretroviral treatment.
ZCCB’sFather CleophasLungu said it was not right for men of God to sit on people’s rights by stopping them from taking ARVs.
He said decisions were made by individuals to consult doctors and if they were diagnosed with HIV, the job of the church was to help people make informed decisions.
“We believe that God created the world and whatever is in the world. It was through God-given wisdom that doctors came up with the idea of making medicines to heal people through what God created like trees,” he said.
Fr Lungu said Government was making an effort to make sure that the HIV rate was reduced and it was not fair that some church leaders were working against these efforts.
He said the Catholic Church encouraged people to take ARVs in order for them to live longer.
BIGOCA’S Bishop Ndhlovu condemned the self-proclaimed men of God who he said were deceiving their church members on ARVs by discouraging them from taking their drugs.
He said while people should be encouraged to keep their faith in God, it was unwise to advise them to abandon treatment.