AEGiS-15IAC: Integrating HIV/AIDS education through 'Bayan' - a faith based innovative approach in Tamilnadu, India.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Integrating HIV/AIDS education through 'Bayan' - a faith based innovative approach in Tamilnadu, India.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. E10164)

Marirajan T
Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre, Madurai, India

BACKGROUND: People's faith in the current scenario is among the greatest avenues available for community mobilization and education. When there is happiness or crisis in the family people call upon their faith leaders for support. Faith leaders regularly educate their communities during congregation prayers and other gatherings. Therefore, forming partnerships with faith leaders can give a tangible benefit enhancing community mobilization and providing education around issues including HIV/AIDS and sex and sexuality. Issue: The issues to sex and sexuality need to be dealt with very tact and sensitivity in a society where such topics are taboo. Therefore the researcher wanted to mobilize the religious infrastructure, Muslim Jamath community, is a effective method to deal with such a conservative population and can serve as a platform to discuses such issues in an acceptable manner.

METHOD: 'Bayan' is a traditional preaching period observed during Fridays. Social issues will be dealt by the 'Imamm' every week before prayer. During such deliverance healthy debate is permitted, allowing issues of HIV/AIDS to be introduced in every mosque situated in an around Madurai and Ramanad districts.

RESULT: Irrespective of gender and age appropriate approach without distributing the cultural customs. The researcher issued the pre test and post test evaluation questioner to the audiences during Bayan meetings. According to the evaluation, there was a 40 % increase impact in the attendance of the awareness session once it was coupled with 'Bayan'.

CONCLUSION: In conclusion, faith-based organization can play a potential role in delivering the health education to a large HIV/AIDS education to a larger group through their religious establishments. The example from Tamilnadu shows that this can be done.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Seropositivity, Health Education, HIV Infections, Sexual Behavior, Evaluation Studies, Organizations, India, Sexuality, Population, Religion, Islam, Teaching, Culture, prevention & control, education, organization & administration

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