Country director for The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), Ms Karusa Kiragu has said HIV is incurable through prayer and that religious leaders should not continue with the false claims.
Ms Karusa made these remarks in Kampala on Tuesday during a World Council of Churches (WCC) and UNAIDS regional consultation meeting on HIV Treatment Adherence and Faith Healing in Africa.
This meeting, also attended by Archbishop Stanley Ntagali of the Church of Uganda was aimed at addressing issues of “faith-healing only” practices in the context of HIV and AIDS.
Ms Karusa asserted that religious leaders jeopardise efforts to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS when they claim to heal infected people through prayers, especially in developing countries like Uganda. She noted that Christian faithful living with the disease eventually stop taking drugs and resort to pastors’ prayers which will eventually lead them to death.
“There is a role of religion and there is a role of faith in our lives, it’s mainly to strengthen us to endure, but HIV is not a curable disease.” Karusa said.
“People who are propagating such [miraculous healing] messages are doing a disservice to the nation.” She said.
“The issue of HIV will stay with us for a long time,” Kiragu continued, “but to build momentum, particularly in the next five years, we need to continue to push together.”
She explained that Churches should sensitise people not to contract the disease and encourage those living with the disease, to access treatment.
Archbishop Stanley Ntagali opened the meeting through prayer and reflection. “As we come together, we are sailing, facing different storms as we live in distinct parts of the world. But as churches, we must work together, to see the gospel clearly, and speak with one voice. We want to move together, and in facing the storm of HIV and AIDS, faith communities can be agents of change.”
Rev. Pauline Wanjiru Njiru, eastern Africa regional coordinator for the WCC-EHAIA explained, “Gathering here in Kampala, I hope that religious leaders can come together, to say that we are in support of treatment, and that we encourage our people living with HIV to seek medicine, faithfully. There is a lot of progress that has been made in the context of HIV treatment, and we need to encourage people to make use also of the scientific gains, and not be deceived by faith-healing only messages.”
Contrary to Ms Karusa’s statement, Pastors teach that God still works to heal people in ways that defy medical knowledge.
What Church leaders say
Pr Mukisa Fred of Remnant Ministries – Mukono tells this website that Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians speaks about spiritual gifts, one of which is healing.
“It is clear that the gift of healing did not end with Jesus and his disciples. The Bible tells us to pray for whatever we need, and that surely includes freedom from slight and chronic illnesses.” He says, quoting Matthew 10:1; Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.
USA televangelist Billy Graham in his letter to one Christians seeking to give up medication as an act of faith says; I strongly urge you not to risk jeopardizing your health by going against the advice of your doctors. They have the ability to evaluate your true situation, and you should thank God for their skills and their wisdom.
“It’s wrong to assume that medicine and faith are necessarily opposed to each other, or that illness is only the result of a lack of faith. We live in a sin-infested, fallen world, and as a result we’re all subject to sickness and death. Only in heaven will all sin and illness be banished (see Revelation 21:4).” Graham says.
