15.06.2019
Churches Urged to Play Their Part as Four Irish Cities on Fast Track to End Aids – ACET
Today (June 15) is Irish AIDS Day and ACET (AIDS Care Education & Training) is calling all churches to play their part in bringing about an end to AIDS. ACET has been providing a Christian response to HIV in Ireland for over 25 years.
This year in preparation for Irish AIDS Day, four Irish cities, alongside the Taoiseach, signed the Paris Declaration in Dublin, committing to the Fast–Track Cities initiative. This initiative sets ambitious targets to reduce new HIV infections, end AIDS–related deaths and eliminate barriers faced by people affected by, and living with, HIV, including stigma and discrimination. Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Cork are on the fast–track to end AIDS by 2030.
ACET Ireland is part of this initiative and says that churches and other faith communities can play an important role in making this a reality.
“By directly challenging stigma and encouraging HIV testing, churches can seek to be the transformed reality we are all looking to create,” commented ACET CEO Richard Carson. “Across our country there are people living with HIV leading our churches, leading us in worship and living faithful and committed lives in Christian community. It is their courageous example, often from within marginalised contexts, which can inspire us, with God’s blessing, for the way forward.”
ACET’s broad range of projects support those living with and affected by HIV, challenge stigma in churches and faith communities and work alongside multicultural and migrant–origin settings in encouraging HIV testing.
The Fast–Track Cities initiative is a global partnership between cities and districts around the world. The initiative has four core partners: the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC); the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS); the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN–Habitat); and the City of Paris.
Launched on World AIDS Day 2014, the initiative today includes more than 300 cities and districts that are committed to attain the UNAIDS 90–90–90 targets by 2020: 90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status; 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy (ART); and 90% of all HIV–diagnosed people receiving sustained ART will achieve viral suppression.
The fourth, and equally important, target is achieving Zero Stigma and Discrimination.
Mayors, politicians and other city and district officials designate their cities as Fast–Track Cities by signing the Paris Declaration, which outlines a set of commitments to achieve the initiatives objectives. Grounded in the principle of data transparency, the initiative includes a Fast–Track Cities Global Web Portal that allows cities to report on their progress against the fast–track and other targets. Visit www.fast-trackcities.org to see the progress that Fast–Track Cities are making in accelerating their local AIDS responses.
For more information please contact Richard Carson at richard.c@acet.ie