Faith Leaders Pledge to End HIV Stigma in Africa
A multi-stakeholder regional dialogue in Lomé, Togo, adopted a declaration reaffirming commitment to ending new HIV infections and AIDS as a public health threat.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Christianity
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Participants including faith-based organizations, religious leaders, people living with HIV, civil society, youth, development partners and government agencies adopted a joint declaration at the regional dialogue in Lomé, Togo, which concluded on November 6. The declaration reaffirms a commitment to ending new HIV infections and ending AIDS as a public health threat.
Why it matters
The declaration states that the HIV response is at a critical crossroads due to declining funding, persistent stigma and discrimination, health system weaknesses, and growing vulnerability among young people and key populations. Religious communities are positioned as partners in addressing those challenges.
Côte d'Ivoire has 414,078 people living with HIV, including 268,475 women, 126,546 men and 19,057 children. Sub-Saharan African countries cannot access long-acting injectables for HIV prevention and treatment because of a lack of funding, and the declaration does not specify how that gap will be addressed.
The players
Lomé regional dialogue participants
Multi-stakeholder group of faith-based organizations, religious leaders, people living with HIV, civil society, youth, development partners and government agencies that adopted the declaration.
The details
Representatives from faith-based organizations, religious leaders, people living with HIV, civil society, youth, development partners and government agencies took part in the Lomé dialogue. The declaration draws on biblical and Quranic teachings and traditional religions to frame health and social well-being as shared religious priorities.
Timeline
November 6, 2026: Lomé regional dialogue concluded and adopted the HIV declaration.
Culture Shift
Faith communities are increasingly being enlisted as health partners in the HIV response, a shift visible in the declaration's joint framing of health and social well-being as religious priorities. The move reflects a broader pattern in which religious institutions are repositioned from stigma-reinforcing actors to active participants in public health delivery.
Access to long-acting injectables for HIV prevention and treatment remains constrained in sub-Saharan Africa because of funding shortfalls. The declaration's emphasis on reducing stigma and discrimination bears directly on whether people living with HIV feel able to seek testing and treatment.
The takeaway
Faith-inclusive health commitments depend on sustained funding and on reducing stigma, both of which the declaration identifies as unresolved obstacles. Readers following global HIV policy should watch whether the joint commitments are backed by measurable action.
Further reading
Explore more on Christianity to see how faith communities are engaging public health priorities.
Source note: This article includes information reported by World Council of Churches.
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Should wealthy countries keep funding HIV prevention and treatment in Africa?
