One wonders whether condoms are spoken about during the “education and home visit programs". What other changes are proposed?

[him] moderator

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Bishops seek new HIV strategy
Pastoral letter calls for new efforts to stem spread of virus
ucanews.com reporter, Yangon
Myanmar
December 6, 2011

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Myanmar (CBCM) last week issued a pastoral letter calling for new approaches among parish organizations to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Among the changes proposed in the letter is the adoption of “education and home visit programs.”

The letter, signed by four Myanmar bishops, outlines the urgent need for attention to the issue in Myanmar, a country with one of the highest infection rates in Southeast Asia, according to data cited from UNAIDS.

“If our parishes would become places where HIV-positive people could feel welcome, get counseling, referrals for testing and help, and have centers where they could find adequate education about health … spiritual and moral support, we could do much to stop the spread of this epidemic,” the letter stated.

The letter further offered direct assistance to dioceses or parishes to establish such programs.

A lack of understanding about the causes of HIV and the widespread discrimination experienced by those with HIV are among the chief factors cited by the letter for the spread of the virus.

“Our people do not know when they need to be tested, or they fear that others might know and so they do not want to be tested. This prevents them from getting the help and support they need and quickly increases the spread of HIV.”

Bishop Stephen Tjephe, president of the Myanmar Catholic HIV/AIDS Network and a signatory to the pastoral letter, told ucanews.com that the letter – the first issued by the conference in several years – aimed to remind people that the issue was vital.

“As the world today is working hard to care for … people living with HIV/AIDS, we too need to work together,” he said.

Sr Mary Grenough, a Maryknoll sister and coordinator of the Myanmar Catholic HIV/AIDS Network, said several dioceses have already started nutritional and educational support services, while others have begun home visits and home-based care.

According to data compiled by the Myanmar National Strategic Plan on HIV/AIDS for 2008-10, some 68 people died each day from AIDS-related illnesses, while people between the ages of 16 and 30 were most at risk of contracting the virus.

http://www.ucanews.com/2011/12/06/bishops-seek-new-hiv-strategy/