PCEA HIV/AIDS Policy

Mandated by the 18th General Assembly April 2006

Prelude:
The HIV/AIDS problem is large. It is a health and socio-economic problem affecting the individual, family,
community and all humanity. As of the end of 2005 more than two million Kenyans [adults and children]
have died from AIDS.

Transmission of HIV [the virus causing AIDS] is through (1) sexual intercourse with an infected person, (2)
blood infected with HIV and (3) an infected mother to her infant. Of the three ways of transmission, sexual
intercourse accounts for 80 to 90% of the spread.

In society HIV/AIDS has been much talked about, but in reality little has been done. It can be asked why
should the church be any different; why should the church become involved? The answer to these questions
is not just because the church’s own members are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS but because the church
of Jesus Christ is a body that loves and cares for all of God’s children. The church has the potential to
effectively address the HIV/AIDS problem due to its grass-roots infrastructure as well as the general
respect that society shows towards the church.

Article Nine of the Constitution of the PCEA reads: “This Church, in the discharge of its mission in the
world, cannot confine itself solely to the preaching of the Word and the administration of purely religious
ordinances. Believing that it is entrusted with a ministry not only to the souls of men, but also to their
bodies and minds, and following the example of its master, who went about doing good, it claims the right,
as it shall see fit, to undertake educational, medical or charitable work for the benefit of all who desire its
help; and declares its willingness to cooperate with governmental and other agencies in promoting the
mental, physical and moral welfare of the whole community.”

The PCEA HIV/AIDS Policy will address:

A. Goal and Objectives of the Policy H. Home-Based Care
B. Nature of HIV/AIDS I. Counselling and Testing
C. Level of Interventions and Activities J. Persons Living with HIV/AIDS [PLHAs]
D. Prevention and Education and Participation within the Church
E. Anti-Retroviral Therapy [ART] K. Advocacy
F. Human Rights
G. Families Affected by HIV/AIDS including
Children Orphaned due to AIDS & Other
Vulnerable Children [OVC] – Affected by
HIV/AIDS

A) Goal and Objectives of the Policy:

Goal: To foster a sense of Christian love and responsibility in the church in order to effectively address
the challenges of HIV/AIDS.
Objectives:
1. To provide the basis for programmes within the church on HIV/AIDS with respect to:
(a) prevention and control, (b) advocacy and (c) care and support.
2. To protect the human rights and dignity of those infected and/or affected by HIV/AIDS.
3. To promote Christian love and acceptance for people living with HIV/AIDS [PLHAs].

B) Nature of HIV/AIDS:
1. HIV/AIDS is an infectious disease just like any other infectious disease; it is neither a punishment
from God nor a curse.
C) Level of Interventions and Activities:
 1. HIV/AIDS interventions and activities are most effective when initiated and administered at the
local level, such that at the congregational, parish or sometimes presbytery level depending upon
the particular activity.

D) Prevention and Education:

1. All health education with respect to HIV/AIDS must be complete, accurate and on-going.

2. HIV/AIDS education should be incorporated in PCEA institutions and other educational forums.

3. HIV/AIDS and life skills education [including aspects of human sexuality] must be made available
to all age groups including children [appropriate to their age and level of understanding].

4. PCEA TOTs [trainers of trainers] and CAEs [Community AIDS Educators] need to be fully
utilized by the parish and presbytery recognizing the extensive training that these individuals have
undergone and that the training of TOTs and CAEs has been an official programme of the PCEA.
[Resolution passed by 2nd GAC of the 15th GA: “The GAC appreciate with thanks that the Health
Board through its HIV/AIDS Control Project has trained HIV/AIDS Trainer of Trainers [TOTs]
and request Presbyteries to facilitate them in implementing the HIV/AIDS programmes in their
Presbyteries.”]

5. TOTs should be invited to sit on congregational and parish health committees either in an official
or ex-official capacity.

6. In His earthly Ministry, Jesus went about doing good. He healed the sick and taught on
prevention of disease by firmly instructing against sin. Jesus also owned all that had not
received his message. He observed that he had “sheep that are not of this sheep pen”. He had to
bring them to “listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd” (John 10:16).
The PCEA endeavours to reach out to all Christians and those with different value systems,
realizing that they too are God’s children who must be brought to our Lord’s Sheep Pen whole!

With respect to prevention of HIV transmission through sexual intercourse:

 Those not married should practice abstinence.

 Those married should remain faithful to their partners.

 The church acknowledges that:

o God loves all His people including members of society both within and outside
of the church who do not follow the teachings of the church with respect to
abstinence and faithfulness.
o those who practice pre-marital and extra-marital sexual intercourse are at great
risk of infecting not only themselves, but also their present or future spouses and
their future unborn children.
o the socio-economic consequences of those infected with HIV extend to other
members of the family, community and country.
o many human beings at times stray from the teachings of the church, but later in
their lives may again come back to the church and follow its teachings providing
that they have not died from AIDS.

 Recognizing the preceding the church recommends that those who so choose to go
against the teachings of the church and practice pre-marital and extramarital sex should
use a condom. In so recognizing the role of the condom in HIV/AIDS prevention, the
church in no way condones sex outside of marriage.
E) Anti-Retroviral Therapy [ART]:

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 1. It is noted that anti-retroviral drugs do not cure but will prolong life by decreasing the amount of
HIV virus in the body. If the anti-retroviral drugs are discontinued at any time, however, the
body’s concentration of HIV virus will again increase.

2. Due to the medical and administrative aspects of ART, such therapy needs to be carried out by
professionals within a hospital setting or by professionals coming under the direct supervision of a
hospital or health facility which has been licensed by the Government of Kenya as an ART site.

3. ART should be initiated for individuals [adults and children] realizing that such individuals will
need treatment daily for life and thus any ART programme must ensure good compliance, follow-
up and sustainability.

4. Local congregations should enquire at near-by hospitals [mission, government and private] if ART
is being offered and what are the charges for such treatment. Leaders within the congregational
setting must take the initiative to make such information available to the local community.

F) Human Rights:
1. At no time must individuals be forced or coerced into having a test for HIV.

2. HIV testing must not be a prerequisite to applying for or starting study/training in any type of
educational institution.

3. HIV testing must not be a prerequisite to applying for or starting employment. Further, HIV status
cannot be used for grounds of dismissal.

4. The church should counsel, recommend and explain the consequences of HIV testing prior to
marriage. The decision to be tested however must be voluntary.

5. In cases where one or both individuals wishing to marry are infected with HIV and have been duly
counselled and understand the consequences of HIV infection, the same will be responsible for
their actions and outcomes. The church in principle will not object to such a union but will
endeavour to provide ongoing counselling or appropriate referral.

6. If one spouse is having extramarital sex, the other spouse has the right to seek interventions
[including counselling, HIV blood testing, use of a condom, and temporary cessation of sex]
which would ensure him/her from not becoming infected with HIV.

7. Persons living with HIV/AIDS [PLHAs] have the right to the same level of medical
confidentiality as any other individual.

8. Any child, who has had one or both parents die from AIDS, has the right to education.

G) Families Affected by HIV/AIDS including Children Orphaned due to

AIDS & Other
Vulnerable Children [OVC] – Affected by HIV/AIDS:
1. Children who are orphaned due to AIDS should be integrated into the extended family or
community rather than placement within institutions recognizing that institutions may be
detrimental to the children’s social and spiritual development.

2. For families affected by HIV/AIDS the church needs to offer ongoing pastoral care as well as
practical assistance realizing that the commitment of assistance may be long term.
H) Home-Based Care:
1. HIV/AIDS home-based care is an appropriate alternative or supplementation to hospital-based
care recognizing that any home-based care programme started within a parish needs to be for the

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 long term, and therefore time, manpower and financial aspects must be taken into consideration
during the initial planning and setting-up of such a programme.

I) Counselling and Testing: [Also see Section F – Human Rights]

1. All persons being tested for HIV must undergo pre and post test counselling by accredited staff in
a VCT centre or other recognized health facility.

2. Testing must be voluntary at all times.

3. Test results must be confidential.

4. Ongoing HIV/AIDS counselling for persons living with HIV/AIDS [PLHAs] should be locally
available, confidential and carried out by qualified personnel.

J) Persons Living with HIV/AIDS [PLHAs] and Participation within the

Church:
1. Being infected with HIV must not result in services [including church membership, Holy
Communion and burial] being withheld to individuals or their families.

2. The church must take a proactive approach in addressing and rectifying any situation where a
person in the church is being discriminated against due to his/her HIV status.

3. The HIV status of an individual [minister or layperson] must not prevent that individual from
taking up any paid or voluntary position [including leadership positions] within the church.

K) Advocacy:
1. The church advocates for the development of a national HIV/AIDS policy that [1] guides all
responses by stakeholders (organizations, groups, churches and other bodies involved or interested
in HIV/AIDS activities) and [2] shuns all forms of human rights violations against people living
with HIV/AIDS [PLHAs].

2. The church advocates for the government as well as national and international health research
bodies to conduct or facilitate [1] the development of a HIV vaccine, [2] the further advancement
of HIV/AIDS drugs and [3] the carrying out of other appropriate and ethical research.

3. The church advocates for the access to affordable anti-retroviral therapy [ART] for all people
living with HIV/AIDS [PLHAs] through the initiative of the government in cooperation with other
stakeholders. Any initiative should ensure continuity of services.

4. Noting that HIV/AIDS is one of the greatest threats to human existence today, the church
advocates concerted efforts to be made by all in respect to curbing the spread of HIV and
addressing the resultant socio-economic challenges.

5. The church advocates the free flow of communication with respect to addressing cultural practices
which may positively or negatively affect HIV infection rates and spread.