As part of its ongoing efforts to better understand Muslim religious leader’s perception of HIV/AIDS and ART, JHU-CCP/ARC has conducted a dialogue that engaged over 200 Imams nationwide. With the findings from the dialog, JHU-CCP/ARC will develop a communication strategy that caters to the needs of Ethiopian Imams and the Muslim population in combating HIV/AIDS. The dialogues happened over the course of four months in various cities including: Addis Ababa, Assosa, Harrar, Mekelle, Bahar Dar, Hawassa, Dessie and Jimma.
During this endeavor, Imams were given a two-day training on basic HIV/AIDS and ART issues to encourage them to seek and disseminate accurate HIV/AIDS information as well as advocate within their respective communities.
From the dialogue, it was evident that Imams require basic HIV/AIDS and ART training to enable them understand as well as teach about the virus and its treatment competently. Sheikh Musa Muhammad, from Afar region who attended the dialogue in Dessie city, stressed the importance of basic HIV/AIDS training for Imams by saying, “We can have a high impact in combating HIV/AIDS due to our involvement and credibility in the community.”
Mr Nuredin Jamal, Program Coordinator at EMDA (Ethiopian Muslim Development Association) explained that the training will also build the capacity of Imams to correct misconceptions in the Muslim community.
“The training was very empowering and effective in discussing HIV/AIDS related issues such as methods of prevention, positive living and reducing stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV,” stated Sheikh Keder Nur, from Afar who attended the dialogue in Mekelle city.
Hajji Mohamed Idris, who is currently on ART has participated in all the dialogues. His willingness to share his personal experiences with the Imams proved to be powerful in putting a human face to the issue and was appreciated by the attendees. Hajji Mohamed explained the importance of Imams openly teaching the community about HIV by saying “besides teaching the Muslim community to protect themselves from HIV, Imams should also encourage people to get tested, so they can take the proper treatment and care for themselves as well as the needed precautions to prevent transmitting the virus to others.”
Sheikh Musa Mohammad expressed his hopes for more trainings that will enable all religious leaders to teach within their respective communities. He recommended that trainings should be offered in all regions. The importance of developing other tailored behavioral change communication materials for the Muslim community was also stressed in all dialogues.
This event was a made possible through the collaborative effort between JHU-CCP/ARC and EMDA. The two organizations plan to address the needs identified from the findings of the dialogues by developing a communication strategy that targets both Imams and the Muslim community.
