Interfaith Pre-Conference AIDS2022 - Taking Action to Overcome HIV Stigma & Discrimination

This proposal presents the draft outline of the UNAIDS – PEPFAR Faith Initiative and Interfaith Health Platform’s Interfaith Pre-Conference to the International AIDS Conference 2022 on:

Taking Action to Overcome HIV Stigma & Discrimination.

Organizers: The event will be led by the UNAIDS – PEPFAR Faith Initiative Secretariat, in collaboration with Faith Initiative’s Implementing Partners (IPs), the Interfaith Health Platform Core Group, UNAIDS and PEPFAR concerned departments. Partners include the Global Fund to Fight HIV, TB and Malaria (GF), the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), governments, officials from the UNAIDS – PEPFAR Faith Initiative priority countries, and others who will contribute to shaping the content and format of the event.

Format: The Interfaith Pre-Conference to the International AIDS Conference 2022 will be a hybrid event allowing in-person and virtual participation.

Dates:

1.  The Pre-Conference is expected to take place on 27 and 28 July 2022. Submissions for IAS 2022 Pre-Conference events has been open since December 20th 2021: https://aids2022.org/take-part/pre-conference-meetings/ (To be decided:  Will this be an IAS official event?

2.  The Pre-Conference faith events will be followed by a “moment of reflection” – tentatively in September 2022 (Possibly at UNGA: Prayer breakfast + virtual faith gathering).

Target audience: The Interfaith Conference is open to all interested in taking action against HIV stigma and discrimination. It will showcase effective actions taken by the faith sector as well as other stakeholders that address the challenges to tackle stigma and discrimination in the HIV response.

Purpose and expected outcomes: The Pre-Conference will:

1.  Provide opportunities for learning, networking, collaboration, & capacity building among faith communities and religious leaders working to support the global HIV response;

2.  Highlight effective interventions by all sectors to address HIV stigma and discrimination, especially concerning children, adolescents, women, and key population groups;

3.  Identify ways to support/replicate these interventions through collaborations that identify distinctive roles for faith communities and religious leaders, especially within the priority countries of the UNAIDS/PEPFAR Faith Initiative;

4.  Strengthen broader anti-stigma efforts by presenting models that integrate other relevant services (e.g., mental health services) and amplify innovations from other anti-stigma efforts in response to other conditions (e.g., COVID or TB)

5.  Build and strengthen the potential and reach of faith leaders and communities to address inequalities;

6.  Link participants to new and existing opportunities for ongoing collaboration beyond this conference (e.g., webinars on the Interfaith Health Platform or participation in the faith events at the UN General Assembly)

7.  Exploring life-giving responses to challenging issues.