Action Together in Combating HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA)

Action Together in Combating HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA)

HIV and AIDS has been a special focus of the Christian Conference of Asia’s programme priorities. Several skill building and advocacy programmes have been initiated by CCA to address the concerns, as well as efforts to build HIV-competent churches and communities in Asia.

In order to effectively respond to HIV and AIDS with the member churches and councils, CCA is continuing on its journey of building the capacity of its members to become inclusive and relevant for people living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV) through the Action Together in Combating HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA) programme.

Asia and the Pacific is the region with the second highest number of people living with HIV in the world—an estimated 5.1 million in 2015 (UNAIDS 2016 The Prevention Gap Report).

In order to contribute to the initiatives of global, national, and local bodies to combat the alarming increase in the number of HIV-affected people, CCA will join together with governments and UN agencies such as UNAIDS. The CCA is engaged in working with and through its member constituencies in Asia at national and local levels.

Objectives

  • To build the capacity of CCA members by training facilitators at regional, sub-regional, and local levels;
  • To scale up the advocacy initiatives among its member constituencies targeting member churches, governments, and UN agencies;
  • To strengthen existing faith-based networks and initiate new networks with of faith-based groups in Asia in order to address the consequences of HIV and AIDS;
  • To play a role in the effective, efficient, responsible and sustainable way of addressing the spread of HIV and AIDS.

Expected Outcomes

  • CCA programmes make significant contributions towards the global HIV and AIDS goals of ‘getting to zero’: zero new infection, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths within Asia.
  • CCA member churches and councils work more actively in solidarity with interfaith partnerships in advocacy for addressing care, support, and treatment, including anti-retroviral therapy.
  • CCA member churches and communities will be more competent in responding to HIV and AIDS and related issues, including human sexuality, sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), and reproductive health and human rights, based on faith values and inclusive principles.
Christian conference of Asia, CCA

 

Strategies

  • Capacity-building of facilitators within the CCA network.
  • Self-assessment of churches' inclusiveness by using appreciative inquiry methods.
  • Exchange of learning and sharing of resources within CCA and inter-faith networks.
  • Addressing factors governing HIV vulnerabilities, including human sexuality and gender.
  • Documentation of good practices and building resources for models of intervention within the network.
  • Motivating youth as change agents.
  • Specific advocacy related to prevention, care, support, and treatment to global and concerned organisations, development agencies, and government, regionally and locally.
  • Dissemination of learnings and lessons at national and international forums based on first-hand research.
  • Asian Interfaith Network on AIDS (AINA): strengthening regional and national interfaith networks for the exchange of learning, expertise, and linkages or care and support within faith-based communities and organisations in Asia.