How the Church Can Lead the Way:

1. How the Church Can Lead the Way: Ending the HIV Epidemic in Asia and the Pacific Church Leaders Event Hawaii Conference February 22, 2014

2. How the Church Can Lead the Way • Welcome and Overview • Creating Safe and Sacred Space • Prayer • Introduction/Getting to know each other • About HIV & AIDS • State of the Epidemic • Strategic Responses, “Logic Model Framework” • Role of the Church • Key Resources

3. How the Church Can Lead the Way • Welcome and Overview • Creating Safe and Sacred Space • Prayer

4. How the Church Can Lead the Way Participant Introductions/Icebreaker • Connect with 3-5 people you don’t know or at least not very well, and • Share your name, church and one thing that motivated you to come to this workshop

5. Getting To Know Each Other Icebreaker/Mixer • Connect with 3-5 people you don’t know or at least not very well, and • Share your name, church and one thing that motivated you to come to this workshop

6. About HIV & AIDS

7. About HIV & AIDS HIV Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

8. What is HIV and AIDS About HIV & AIDS • HIV lives in the blood and • other body fluids that contain blood or white blood cells.

9. What is HIV and AIDS About HIV & AIDS • The immune system is made up of specialized cells in the bloodstream that fight off invading germs to keep the body healthy.

10. TARGETS About HIV & AIDS • The human immunodeficiency virus is best known for targeting the T-cellsof the immune system. • It can also attack cells of the brain, nervous system, digestive system, lymphatic system, and other parts of the body.

11. T-Cells About HIV & AIDS • The T-cells (also referred to as “T4”) are the brains of the immune system’s operation. • T-cellsidentify infections and give orders to other cells, which battle infections to keep the person healthy.

12. T-Cells About HIV & AIDS • With fewer healthy T-cells, the immune system becomes powerless. • It can no longer recognize and fight off common infections that would not present a problem to a healthy immune system. • These infections may lie dormant in the body or may enter from outside exposure. • The immune system’s weakness gives these infections the opportunity to wake up, multiply and cause illness.

13. Opportunistic Infections About HIV & AIDS • These infections are known as “opportunist infections.” • When a person with an HIV-weakened immune system has: • one or more of these opportunistic infections, or • a T-cell count below 200 or 14%, • that person may be diagnosed as having AIDS.

14. Transmission About HIV & AIDS • HIV can be transmitted through: • Unprotected sexual intercourse with an HIV-infected person. • Sharing drug injection equipment (needles) or being stuck by needles or sharp objects contaminated with infected blood. • Mother to child during child birth or through breast feeding • Receiving blood products or transplant organs from an HIV+ donor (extremely rare in the U.S.).

15. State of the Epidemic Global estimates - 2012 • People living with HIV 35.3 million [32.2 million – 38.8 million] • New HIV infections in 2012 2.3 million [1.9 million – 2.7 million] • Deaths due to AIDS in 2012 1.6 million [1.4 million – 1.9 million] http://www.unaids.org/en/dataanalysis/knowyourepidemic/epidemiologypublications/

16. HIV & AIDS in Asia & the Pacific UNAIDS reports, • 4.9 million [3.7–6.3 million] in 2012 (estimated). • Regionally, new HIV infections have fallen by 26% since 2001, but the pace of progress is too slow and significant challenges remain. http://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries/regions/asiaandpacific/

17. HIV & AIDS in the United States • 1.1 million people living with HIV in the USA • 477,000 are living with an AIDS diagnosis • 50,000 people are newly infected with HIV each year • >15% of those infected with HIV don’t know it. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/statistics/basics/ataglance.html

18. HIV & AIDS in Hawaii • 2,600-2,900 people living with HIV* • Cumulatively: • there have been 4,383 HIV infections since the beginning of the epidemic and • 3,382 cases of AIDS, nearly ¾ of all persons who have an HIV diagnosis** * http://worldaidsdayhawaii.org/resources/ **http://health.hawaii.gov/std-aids/hiv-aids/data-and-statistics/

19. Drivers of the Epidemic • Access to prevention, treatment, care and support. • Poverty • Stigma and discrimination, especially in relation to key affected populations: • Men who have sex with men (MSM) • Persons who engage in injection drugs use (IDU) • Sex workers

20. Strategic Responses

21. 0 Getting to Zero • Zero new infections • Zero HIV-related deaths • Zero discrimination

22. Strategic Global Investment • Know the epidemic • Focus efforts and resources where the epidemic is • Address the drivers of the epidemic • Collaborate across sectors and disciplines (everyone has a role) • Prevention, treatment, care and support

23. U.S. Strategic Plan – High Impact • Know the epidemic • Focus efforts and resources where the epidemic is • Address the drivers of the epidemic • Collaborate across sectors and disciplines (everyone has a role) • Prevention, treatment, care and support

24. UCC General Synod resolution (2009) • Calls on all clergy and lay persons in all settings of the United Church of Christ to: • Become knowledgeable about HIV and AIDS, • Understand how HIV is • transmitted, • prevented, and • Work to prevent its transmission • Reduce stigma and discrimination • Help the whole church to increase its HIV competency.

25. UCC General Synod resolution (2009) • Strongly urges everyone in the UCCtoknow their HIV status • Calls on all settings of the church to develop and implement best practice comprehensive HIV prevention education, programs and strategies for church and community, • Give particular attention to vulnerable groups and at risk populations

26. Logic Model Framework

27. Logic Model – Strategic Framework • Employing your mission, vision and values to address a particular situation • Ending the HIV epidemic • What are your capacities? (resources, staff, space) • What do you do? (worship, educate, advocacy) • Who do you reach/serve? (members, community) • Goals: Ultimate impact: Ending the HIV epidemic Short and medium term impact

28. Know Your HIV Epidemic • UNAIDS, www.unaids.org • Kaiser Family Foundation, http://kff.org/hivaids/ • CDC fact sheets, http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/library/factsheets/index.html • Hawaii Department of Health,http://health.hawaii.gov/std-aids/hiv-aids/

29. Prevention – S A V E model • Safer Practices • Access to treatment, care and support • Voluntary counseling and testing • Empowerment

30. Prevention – S A V E model • Safer Practices • Condoms • Needle exchange • Treatment as prevention

31. Prevention – S A V E model • Access to prevention, treatment, care and support • Universal • Build capacities • Policies • Funding • Advocacy

32. Prevention – S A V E model • Voluntary counseling and testing • Know your HIV status • Collaborations with AIDS service organizations to provide testing • Integrate HIV information and testing into health fairs • Leaders get tested in a public forumtalk about the process • Provide encouragement and support for getting into treatmentand care

33. Prevention – S A V E model • Empowerment • Be an HIV competent church/person and build on your HIV competencies • Curriculum: Affirming Persons, Saving Liveswww.ucc.org/apsl • Comprehensive sexuality education • Curriculum: Our Whole Liveswww.ucc.org/owl • Make HIV visible – worship and other church programs • Work with area AIDS Service Organizations to provide needed support to persons living with or affected by HIV.

34. Prevention – S A V E model A B C S A V E • Abstinence • Be faithful • Condoms • Focuses on sexual transmission • A broader, more comprehensive approach • Focuses on information, support and empowerment. • Non-judgmental

35. Other important concerns • Eradication of poverty • Food Security • (people need to take food with most HIV meds for them to be effective) • Housing

36. Other important concerns • Elimination of Stigma and Discrimination • Open and Affirming process • UCC Mental Health Network • UCC Disabilities Ministries

37. Hopefulness • The vision of ending the HIV epidemic in no longer a pipe-dream • We have the knowledge and the science • Will we apply ourselves, our resources and energies to do it?

38. Hopefulness • No one person, church or organization is expected to, or can do it all • Figure out what you can do and do it • Invite others to join and to do what they can • If we each do our part and we will, with God’s help, end the HIV epidemic.

39. Hopefulness • No one person, church or organization is expected to, or can do it all • Figure out what you can do and do it • Invite others to join and to do what they can • If we each do our part and we will, with God’s help, end the HIV epidemic.

40. Rev. Mike Schuenemeyer Executive Director, UCAN Inc. (UCC HIV & AIDS Network) schuenem@ucc.org 216-736-3217