Your Health, Your Faith: HIV prevention with African faith-based communities in Germany

Abstract

Abstract Migrants are disproportionally affected by HIV/AIDS in Germany, with about every third new HIV diagnosis given to a person who has migrated to Germany. More than half of HIV new diagnoses among migrants are people from sub-Saharan African countries. Because infections are not just brought from the countries of origin but also occur in Germany, HIV prevention services must be better tailored to the needs of migrants. Your Health, Your Faith (2016-2018) is a community-based participatory health project that aims to improve the involvement of African faith-based communities in HIV prevention services. The project is conducted by the National AIDS Service Organization in collaboration with partners from different African communities, African pastors, AIDS service organizations (ASOs) and researchers from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Teams of African activists, African pastors and ASOs have been built in eight German cities. All partners were invited to a series of concept workshops in Berlin in order to define together prevention contents, methods and forms of cooperation. Together, they developed a concept for preaching preventive messages in church settings and scenarios for a mobile educational theatre group. To date 65 multilingual events have been held at various African churches, reaching approximately 5000 people. The results of the project has been evaluated on a multi-case basis, with quality standards being compiled for prevention events in African churches. In the course of the project, the participants designed a video that illustrates the prevention work in African Church communities. At the request of the pastors involved, a mobile training series on HIV/Aids for African pastors has been developed with the support of medical doctors. Key messages HIV prevention in African churches and cooperation between African churches, public health authorities and ASOs is possible and promising. Communication via pastors has proven useful, as have supporting theatre performances that facilitate communication about taboo subjects such as HIV/AIDS.