MASINDI
Pastors Cited in HIV-Positive Persons to Abandon ARVs for Divine Healing
Health officials in Masindi District are raising concerns over the growing trend of some religious leaders, particularly pastors, advising HIV-positive followers to stop taking antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), claiming divine healing.
This practice, they say, is jeopardizing efforts to manage HIV in the district and frustrating care for people living with the virus.
Masindi, one of the leading districts in the Bunyoro sub-region for HIV infection rates, has a prevalence of 6.5%, significantly higher than the national average of 5.1%.
The most affected areas include Bikonzi, Bulima Town Council, Pakanyi, Kijunjubwa, and Kimengo.
Despite the government’s ongoing efforts to achieve its target of zero new infections and zero deaths by 2030, district health teams are alarmed by religious leaders who are advising followers to abandon ARVs.
“There is a problem with some pastors here who are telling their followers to stop taking ARVs, which increases the risk of spreading HIV. This is very concerning, and pastors are becoming a problem for our district,” said Oliver Nyangoma, Masindi’s HIV focal person.
Nyangoma stressed that while HIV cannot currently be cured, it can be managed with proper adherence to medication.
She warned people living with HIV that stopping their ARV treatment is dangerous and urged pastors to stop spreading misinformation.
“People need to understand that once you contract HIV, there is no cure yet. The only option is ARV treatment. Pastors should know better,” she added.
Brian Masimbi, data manager for the Uganda AIDS Commission, also expressed concern, advising pastors to encourage their followers to adhere to medical advice for a longer, healthier life.
“We appeal to pastors to deliver positive messages. It makes no sense to preach to people who are sick and could die when ARVs can help them live longer. Until God calls them, ARVs offer them a lifeline,” Masimbi stated.
However, some pastors argue that it is their followers who claim to be healed and stop taking medication.
Pastor Christopher Byenkya of United Miracle Church noted that some churchgoers testify that God has healed them after multiple tests and then abandon their treatment.
He acknowledged that many of these individuals eventually fall ill or die after stopping their medication.
“In my church, I’ve seen believers claiming they’ve been healed after numerous tests, and they go off their medication. We can’t stop them when they’re convinced they’re cured,” Pastor Byenkya explained.
Masimbi from the Uganda AIDS Commission clarified that although ARVs can suppress the virus to undetectable levels, this does not mean a person is cured.
He warned that stopping treatment allows the virus to rebound, which could be fatal.
“Even when the viral load is suppressed, it doesn’t mean the person is healed. If they stop taking ARVs, the virus reactivates, and reversing the situation can be difficult, even deadly,” Masimbi said.
Several pastors, including Julius Aijuka of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Masindi, are now calling on the government to provide religious leaders with accurate information about HIV to better guide their congregations.
“We’re not well-versed in the facts about HIV. We ask the government to engage us so that we can dedicate part of our preaching to spreading correct information. If it means telling people to use condoms, we should,” Pastor Aijuka said.
As the battle against HIV continues, the intersection of faith and medicine remains a delicate issue, with health officials urging for a more informed approach from religious leaders to prevent further harm.
Source: Nile Post
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