HIV/AIDS

Securing Better Access to Early Testing and Treatment for Children Living with HIV and HIV/TB Co-Infection and to the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV.

Sr. Sheila Kinsey attended a conference in Rome (October 14-16, 2009) organized by Caritas Internationalis and the United States Embassy to the Holy See: Co-sponsored by: UNAIDS, WHO, Stop TB Partnership, Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers, Health Commission of the Union of Superiors General and the Pediatric Hospital “Bambino Gesu”.

The International Conference  dealt with experts from WHO, UNAIDS, etc. and experiences from the field, in order to :

• Inform about the urgent need to expand access to testing and treatment for children with HIV and TB
• Encourage greater partnership among organizations in different parts of the world,
• Promote greater solidarity among faith-based organizations in order to deliver the needed care

There were theoretic and practical sessions in order to develop strategies to promote awareness in different fields: education, formation, health and social care, communication through web and press.

Following the meeting, Sr. Sheila drafted the attached:  Call for Response
Please consider sending a postcard as the response indicates.

Living with HIV is not only a medical condition, but a emotional and spiritual one as well.  Jeana Stewart of Canticle Ministries recommended reading the following article.

The Spiritual Lessons of HIV
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-olmsted/the-spiritual-lessons-of_b_323784.html