Engaging the Faith Community in Anti-HIV/AIDS Work With African Youth: A Case Study of Public/Private Partnerships in Ghana

This presentation will describe the facilitators and inhibitors of partnering with faith-based organizations in addressing HIV/AIDS with youth in Ghana. In particular, this presentation will explore the involvement of Christian NGO's and Christian denominations in HIV/AIDS prevention. Differences in organizational missions, philosophies and theological underpinnings will be used to analyze differences in willingness to address the problem, types of collaborations possible, and strategies of intervention. Data from published peer reviewed literature, published reports, organizational websites and descriptions of national HIV/AIDS policies and programs will be used to describe various routes to faith-based engagement. Facilitators and inhibitors to partnerships with faith communities will be presented by category of faith-based organization. Involvement in HIV/AIDS care will serve as a contrast to involvement in prevention. The presentation will present a critique of the different strategies of engagement based on public health considerations.