UKRAINIAN RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS JOIN THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO ELIMINATE ALL FORMS OF STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION RELATED TO HIV
On December 16, 2020, during a presentation at the Kyiv Orthodox TheologicalAcademy, it was announced that religious organizations of Ukraine had joined the Global Partnership. This was confirmed by the signing of the Statement of representatives of Churches and Religious Organizations of Ukraine on joining the Global Partnership for the Elimination of All Forms of Stigma and Discrimination Related to HIV.
WHAT IS THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP?
The Global Partnership is a union of faith organizations which aims to Eliminate All Forms of HIV-Related Stigma and Discrimination related to HIV. During the 41st meeting of the UNAIDS Programme Coordination Council in Geneva in December 2017, the NGO Delegation together with GNP+UN Women, UNDP, and the UNAIDS Secretariat united to intensify global actions, prevention, testing and treatment in the context of HIV/AIDS.
This Partnership has been created specifically in response to negative treatment of people living with HIV. The outcome of this behavior has led to a persistent barrier regarding reducing and stopping the epidemic. It has been identified that this negativity and public attitude against people living with HIV is preventing people from turning to HIV prevention measures including, testing and treatment services.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE AND COMMITMENT OF UKRAINIAN RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP?
The religious leaders aims to support HIV counteraction, organize work and participate in the actions of the Global Partnership within the framework of the strategic plan in the field of public health and counteraction to HIV/AIDS for 2020-2030. Current plan was developed by the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, with supported by the UNAIDS office in Ukraine. This includes close cooperation with the religious leaders of various denominations in Ukraine, as well as with the religious communities abroad.
In the Global Partnership Ukraine is obligated to inform and comprehensively support the religious leaders, government and other partners for a strong response to HIV prevention. This cooperation also includes empowerment of civil society, involve the donors in the work on achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and, as a result – the victory over AIDS.
The statement of the representatives of churches and religious organizations of Ukraine on joining the Global Partnership for the Elimination of All Forms of Stigma and Discrimination Related to HIV, signed by 8 religious denominations of Ukraine on 16th of December of 2020 underline the following obligations:
- to support the provision of human rights and the implementation of legal obligations that supports proper life standards of PLHIV;
- to oppose discriminatory norms and laws towards PLHIV;
- to conduct an informative activities among the religious communities regarding HIV/AIDS;
- to support the preventive measures among the religious communities, regarding HIV/AIDS;
- to promote and involve the members of the religious communities in HIV/AIDS testing;
- to support an involvement of the religious communities in HIV/AIDS treatment.
INTERFAITH ACTIVITIES TO COMBAT THE HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC IN UKRAINE
“The signing of the Application for joining the Global Partnership is the following step in joint activities of the churches and religious organizations to counteract the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Ukraine”, – said an Acting Head Andriy Nagorniak, a Deputy of the Department of Social Service of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
Activities to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Ukraine began about 15 years ago, largely with the support of the UNAIDS office in Ukraine. Actually, during these 15 years, our common path was to intensify the participation of the churches and religious organizations to counteract the epidemic, as a response to the challenges associated with HIV/AIDS.
In March 2020 the Strategy of Churches and Religious Organizations in the Field of Public Health and Combating HIV/AIDS was approved. The focus of the Strategy was not only on the HIV/AIDS issues, but covered the public health in general.Last year, we jointly worked interfaith on an updated version of the Strategy that would meet modern challenges, trends, developments and technologies. This document – The Strategy of Churches and Religious Organizations in the Field of Public Health and Combating HIV/AIDS was approved in March 2020. This time we moved away from focusing only on the problems of HIV/AIDS, we decided to consider this issue in the context of public health in general.
Current Strategy underlined the importance of human life, health and dignity, as the highest value and the gift of the Creator. The Strategy has been resulted in accepting and treatment for all people by showing the respect of an individual’s choice. We strongly do not accept any manifestations of the phenomenon of stigmatization, discrimination and disrespect for human rights. At the same time, we expect each person to take caring and responsible measures about their own health.
The content of the Statement was jointly discussed by the members of Commission of Social Ministry of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations discussed. Common ground was reached that discrimination and stigmatization becomes an obstacle to getting a person of all kinds of support during all life.
Working in the partnership with World Council of Churches, Ukraine plan to use its own unique experience to unite in joint work various religious organizations inside the country and abroad on fighting HIV/AIDS issues.
An online event was attended by Maryna Novachuk from the UNAIDS Office in Ukraine, underlining crucial importance of engaging the religious communities in the Global Partnership.
“The fact that the religious organizations are joining the activities of counteraction the HIV/AIDS epidemic, we are confident that this stimulates an achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2020-2030. It will also help to decrease the level of negative attitude towards people living with HIV and the key groups, at greatest risk of getting HIV infection,” Maryna Novachuk stated.
This event was held thanks to the organization of CO “100% Life” in the partnership with NGO “Eleos-Ukraine”.
The event was moderated by an archpriest Serhiy Dmitriev, a Chairman of the Board of “Eleos-Ukraine” Network, an Acting Head of the Synodal Department of Medical Chaplaincy of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, a member of the National Council for Combating Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
According to Fr. Serhiy Dmitriev: “Signing the Statement for joining the Global Partnership is crucially important step for both, the religious community and people living with HIV/AIDS in Ukraine. We encourage all the religious communities to join the Global Partnership and fight stigma and discrimination together.”