V. AnnDenise Brown, DrPH¹, Joyce Moon Howard, DrPH², Pernessa C. Seele, MS¹, and Evatt Mugarura¹. (1) The Balm In Gilead, Inc., 130 West 42nd Street, Suite 450, New York, NY 10036, 212-730-7381, vadbrown@balmingilead.org, (2) Center for Applied Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, Suite 1119, New York, NY 10032

The Africa HIV/AIDS Faith Initiative, a project of The Balm In Gilead with funding support from CDC, aims to build the infrastructure of faith communities in Kenya so that they will become more effective in the fight against the AIDS pandemic.

Kenyan faith communities are strategically positioned to play a major role in reducing HIV infection rates in that country. As a result of developed networks, they are also unparalleled in their ability to reach Kenyans across gender, age and economic divides. The process of planning for building the capacity of Kenya’s faith community was informed by a preliminary needs assessment survey which was used to ascertain the current levels of involvement in, as well as barriers to HIV/AIDS-related activities. The nation-wide survey was administered by trained interviewers to a sample of leaders in the Anglican Church. Preliminary results from this survey (n=720) indicate that although 70% of faith leaders indicate that their churches are involved in HIV-related activities, the majority were not currently working with other agencies to provide HIV related services. Priority areas for HIV services include HIV education, prevention and outreach, HIV counseling and support for faith leadership. Frequently mentioned barriers to providing HIV education were lack of financial resources and expertise in providing these services.

Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to

• discuss the feasibility of conducting needs assessment in the Kenyan context,
• describe the church’s current level of involvement in HIV/AIDS related activities, the barriers to their participation in these activities and the levels of collaboration with other organizations.

Keywords: Faith Community, Collaboration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: The Balm In Gilead, Inc.
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Director of Evaluation at The Balm In Gilead, Inc.