Liberian off For PACANet’s 2012 HIV Conference

Three Liberians over the weekend joined their counterparts in Botswana to participate in the African Christian Aids Network conference. The conference which starts today, May 21 to 23, 2012 is organized annually by the Pan African Christian Network (PACANet).

During their stay in Botswana, the conference will provide the opportunity for participants to learn and contribute to the experience and knowledge in the field of HIV and AIDS that will potentially strengthen the work currently being undertaken by Christian organization in the fight against HIV.

While in Botswana, the gathering will also provide opportunity to engage with strategic partners to ensure that the voice of the Christian faith base community responding to the pandemic across is being heard. Participating countries include: Liberia, Ghana, and Nigeria and among others.

PACANet in its effort to unite and strengthen the work of Christians responding to HIV and AIDS across the African continent has organized a 3 day conference from 21st -23rd May in Gaborone, Botswana.

The purpose of the conference is two-fold: (1) to provide a platform for sharing valuable lessons learned by the Christian community responding to the pandemic in Africa and (2) to lobby strategic partners for increased funding for faith-based organizations.

Making the disclosure, Rev. Clarence Pearson of SHALOM Inc.  says more are yet to be done in the fight against HIV especially working with vulnerable HIV affected children of which SHALOM over past years have been working with over three thousand vulnerable HIV Children in Liberia.

speaking before their departure Rev. Clarence Pearson says he says Liberia‘s participation in the Pan African Christian Aids Network  (PACANet)  Conference as a positive step that will create more applicable ways of tackling the prevalence of HIV in Liberia and promised to take best practices that will be taught at the conference to fit in the Liberian prospective.

Thirty five Christian organizations across Africa are participating in the conference. The LDHS 2007 statistics shows that Liberia has the prevalence rate between the ages 18 to 45 years are 1.5 %, where women constitute 1.8 % and men 1.2 %.

Meanwhile PACANet is an international Christian, non -denominational organization established to provide technical support in advocacy, networking and capacity development for Christian response to HIV and AIDS in Africa.

It also promotes strategic networking, collaboration and partnerships among churches, Christian organizations and networking in order to strengthen the fight against HIV and AIDS on the continent.