A workshop held June 16-18 in San'a', Yemen, helped 25 Islamic preachers, along with female religious health advisers, learn to combat HIV-related stigma and discrimination through their teachings, the Yemen Observer reports (yobserver.com, 6/24).
According to the article, each awareness session included presentations, role-playing, discussions and group work to examine HIV from an Islamic perspective. Participants were assigned to develop awareness-raising speeches they can utilize at their religious functions.
“It is very important to understand and address HIV/AIDS as a social, economic and a development issue, through Islamic teachings that provide a highly relevant framework for HIV/AIDS prevention and thus can reduce stigma and discrimination against people living with the virus,” said Irfan Akhtar, HIV/AIDS Coordinator of Progressio, a UK-based international advocacy organization that helped conduct the workshop.
NEW! Scroll down to comment on this story.
Please click OK to confirm your comment and confirm you accept our posting rules. Note your message will be reviewed by our staff before going live.
"I'm HIV positive and diabetic (as well as have high cholesterol) and some of my meds specify taking them with 'high fat foods' which I have to do twice a day. I've eaten as healthy as possible, but when it comes to high fat foods, I am in a quandary...about what to eat sometimes..."
