Utviklingsminister Hilde Frafjord Johnson

The Whisper that Kills: The Role of Religious Leaders in Combating HIV/AIDS – Stigma and Discrimination

Utviklingsministerens tale på Den 15. internasjonale aidskonferansen i Bangkok, under arrangementet "Combating stigma and discrimination: The role of religious leaders in building inclusive communities" mandag 12. juli.

(Greetings)

15 years ago I had my first encounter with HIV/AIDS. As an anthropologist doing fieldwork in Tanzania, one of the villagers died, a young man. He died of "It".

"It" had no name. "It" was sad, "it" was taboo. "It" was hidden. Hush.

A couple of months ago I visited an African hospital run by a religious organisation. The wards were clean, the linens were white as snow, the staff were friendly and efficient. A nurse accompanied us on our visit, answering questions, confirming our impression of a simple, but well-run and modern health facility. In the children’s ward, we stopped by the bed of a two-year old boy. He was smiling, but obviously very sick – relatives were crowded around his sick-bed, hoping for a miracle. His belly was swollen, his skin full of sores. The nurse shared his diagnoses with us:

"Malnourished" - in a normal voice. "Tuberculosis" - in a normal voice. But then: "AIDS" - in a whisper, barely audible.

Most of the children - and adults - in that hospital had HIV/AIDS. There are few other places on earth where this disease is more a part of people’s everyday lives than in hospitals like this one. Yet, even there the taboo, the stigma of HIV/AIDS, caused people to avert their eyes and lower their voices. And we know that this is the rule rather than the exception both in Africa and in the rest of the world - including my own country, Norway. A Norwegian research institute, FAFO, recently conducted a study on attitudes towards HIV/AIDS-affected people in Norway, the first of its kind, and found that HIV-positive people experience serious discrimination at work and in their local communities. People fear the consequences - and choose to keep quiet. Stigma leads to silence - and silence leads to suffering.

We all know the figures. And we know they get worse year by year. The latest UN report shows us that the HIV virus is defeating our efforts to contain it. 38 million people are carrying the virus. Five million were infected last year - more than ever before. Nearly three million died. And the silence is part of the reason why.

Few are in a better position to break this silence, to break the taboos, than religious leaders. People trust the leaders of their church, their mosque, their temple – they trust the leaders to teach them how to live, how to behave, how to think. Religious leaders are in a unique position to influence and inspire. They can reach into people’s hearts and minds in a way no other group can. In many countries, faith-based communities and societies are also the best civil society network in existence.

Religious leaders must realise the power they have in the fight against HIV/AIDS - and use it to the fullest.

They - which means many of you - must try to change traditional attitudes and behaviour that they know help to spread HIV and AIDS. They - you - must show compassion and concern for all of the HIV/AIDS afflicted - without passing judgment, without leaving anyone out. They - you - must make sure your own organisations are accepting and understanding, by creating a climate where religious leaders themselves are not afraid of disclosing their HIV status. They - you - must speak openly and honestly, without fear or prejudice. Only then will others around you dare to do the same.

A recent study by Religions for Peace and UNICEF illustrates just how much power and promise there is in the gigantic network of faith-based organisations. In six African countries, 600 such organisations have mobilised more than 9000 volunteers, altogether caring for more than 150 000 children affected by AIDS. And these 600 organisations constitute less than 1 per cent of the total number of congregations and religious organisations in this area. The potential political influence is enormous. The churches in Africa alone are able to reach hundreds of millions of people - every day.

Faith-based organisations everywhere are leading the way in providing care and support to people living with HIV and AIDS. They are mobilising enormous resources, providing unmatched amounts of care and compassion, helping millions. But they are not always leading the way in removing the stigma, in breaking the silence, in fighting the spread of the disease itself.

In fact, we all know that there are religious groups and religious leaders who have added to rather than alleviated the burden of HIV/AIDS - by letting tradition trump theology, by upholding discriminatory attitudes, by ignoring or distorting known medical facts, by being silent, oh so silent, or by being judgmental of homosexuals and sex outside marriage, by adding to people’s burden rather than relieving them of it, and - not least, by dropping the "C" from the life-saving "ABC" campaigns we all know.

Abstaining and being faithful are excellent ideas, and in an ideal world we could content ourselves with a two-letter campaign - A and B. But HIV and AIDS will not wait for the ideal world, it is spreading today, fast, in ways we know can be prevented by a simple "C" - for condom. Religious leaders must talk about sexuality in a way that resonates with their followers. Which means....yes, talking about condoms, too. Loud and clear.

Silence about this breeds stigma. Silence kills - every day! And we are all responsible.

Alleviating the suffering that exists today is not enough. We must work together to prevent the suffering that threatens to become even greater tomorrow. We must have courage - and we must give courage to those who otherwise may break under the burden of discrimination and devastation. We must show compassion - and we must teach understanding. We must recognise that we are dealing with an enemy unlike any we have faced before - and we must recognise that this situation requires broad and bold action.

Religious organisations in Africa, which is the continent most heavily affected by HIV/AIDS, have taken this to heart. They have shown us how committed leadership can make a huge difference. Religious leaders and communities have made the fight against HIV/AIDS a top priority, and have promoted the right attitudes and actions across borders and into the smallest communities, co-operating with governments and civil society in order to make the greatest possible impact. To make "ABC" the ABC, far into the most remote communities. We have to make this the reality everywhere, on the entire African continent, and globally.

Norway remains committed to supporting the inter-faith organisations that are participating in this effort and their successful collaboration with governments, NGOs and international agencies. We are supporting this effort - because it is working.

In Africa, Uganda serves as a model for how the AIDS epidemic can be addressed. In Asia, Thailand and Cambodia have made great strides in combating the disease. In South America, Brazil is leading the way in tackling tough HIV/AIDS questions head-on. But the epidemic is still spreading - and it is spreading rapidly. Until now, Africa has been the continent most severely ravaged. In the future, it may be Asia that sees the most explosive increase. We know that India is home to the second largest number of HIV-infected people in the world, surpassed only by South Africa. We know that in some areas of China, up to 80 per cent of drug addicts are HIV-positive. We know that HIV/AIDS statistics can be questionable, to say the least. We know that we are not doing enough to stop the epidemic, let alone reverse it. We know that we need to do more - together, now.

However, the fact that more religious and political leaders are addressing the issues in a direct and uncompromising way does give hope for the future. Not only do their efforts make a difference in their home countries and regions, their actions serve as examples for areas of the world where HIV/AIDS is threatening to be just as devastating. But there are not enough of them! We need more leaders, many many more, to play a more active part in the fight against HIV/AIDS, to say the right things - loudly, with courage, conviction and compassion, to do the right things.

Noone can deliver this message as effectively as you, the religious leaders. Noone can reach out to millions of people, like you.

Women and children must receive special attention in the campaigns to help those affected by HIV/AIDS, and rightly so. They are the weakest groups in most societies, yet they bear the heaviest burdens of the pandemic. The stigma of HIV and AIDS is stronger for women than for men - even in equality-minded Norway.

Women, particularly in poor countries, do not have sufficient power and education to take charge of their own and their family’s lives. They must first and foremost be educated: The "education vaccine" may be a more powerful weapon in the fight against AIDS than any medical remedy that is found.

An educated woman knows how to protect herself and others. She is empowered, she can influence her own fate and that of her children. She is far less likely to fall victim to HIV and AIDS - she is far more likely to lead a healthy and happy life. Women and young girls would also greatly benefit from the development of microbicides and an HIV/AIDS-vaccine that would give them control of their lives. Religious leaders should champion this.

To all the religious leaders around the world I want to say: Show courage! Yours is the voice people listen to and learn from. That is a great responsibility - and a great opportunity. Your voice has the power to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, to lead people to a better tomorrow of less stigma, less suffering, less silence. Your voice can save lives! The fate of your people depends on you.

A couple of years ago, African religious leaders said a prayer and made a pledge to the millions of children suffering because of HIV/AIDS. I would like to quote a few lines from this pledge - a pledge we all should take to heart - to everyone whose life has been devastated by this epidemic:

"You have suffered too much because of HIV/AIDS.....Our religions teach us that you should not suffer alone and that you should not be made to feel ashamed......Take our hands, and we will help you to walk with courage into the future."

This is our duty, our most important task in the fight against HIV and AIDS: to remove the stigma, to put an end to the whispers. We must walk with courage and talk with courage, we must show compassion and conviction, we must speak up and speak out - loud and clear, led by religious leaders in all countries and of all creeds. We must act. Only then do we stand a chance. Only then can we hope to conquer this devastating disease. Only then can we say we have done our utmost to save lives. Only then can we succeed.

Thank you.