File: Some of the Inter-Religious Council Uganda (IRCU) members. Courtesy Photo.
Religious leaders under their umbrella organization, Inter-Religious Council Uganda (IRCU) want HIV centres established at churches and mosques to provide counseling and testing services to followers, a state linked news daily has reported.
The New Vision on 15th May 2019, reported that Mr Charles Serwanja, the IRCU Programme Manager for HIV/AIDS and Public Health pushed for HIV testing corners at places of worship
“In 2012 religious leaders came out and agreed on six pillars and it’s upon these pillars that we want HIV/AIDS testing and counseling corners to be established at mosques and churches,” Serwanja said, according to the news outlet.
This was said during a one-day training workshop at Wash and Wills in Mbale on Tuesday.
Mr Charles Serwanja also urged clergies to encourage married partners, especially men to go for routine HIV counseling and testing after every three months.
“This message should seriously focus on men because they are still involved with multiple sexual partners,” Serwanja said. “ The government, NGOs and other organizations have tried. We are now looking at what churches and mosques can do (in the HIV/AIDS fight),” he added.
