Christian Advocacy on AIDS at
United Nations
A group of Christians seeking to influence the United Nations policies
on AIDS seem to be having some impact. The U.N. system is preparing
for an unprecedented General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS).
All the world's nations will gather in New York on June 25-27, 2001, to
debate and agree on a global strategy to combat AIDS.
An ad hoc group of Christians has been sending comments and suggestions
on U.N. drafts of documents, urging that faith-based organizations be supported
in their efforts to fight AIDS, e.g., care of the sick and dying, behavioral
change, and support for orphans. Recent U.N. drafts reflect some of the
language and suggestions offered by this Christian group. When Christians
speak up boldly from their faith perspective, they will be heard. Contact
CCIH if you are interested in becoming a part of this UNGASS dialogue.
I.M.A. Signs $25 Million
Contract for SANRU III
Interchurch Medical Assistance, Inc. (I.M.A.) has signed a contract
with USAID to administer the five-year, $25 million SANRU III project in
the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with the Protestant Church of Congo
(ECC) as the implementing agency. I.M.A. is an association of Protestant
relief and development agencies, with offices in New Windsor, Maryland.
ECC is the association of Protestant churches in the DRC.
SANRU III will provide assistance to sixty rural health zones for the
priority primary health care services health support systems. The sixty
health zones to be selected, with an estimated population of 12,000,000
people, are officially managed or co-managed by Non-Governmental Organizations,
especially by Catholic and Protestant health ministries.
SANRU III ( Soins de Santé Primaires en Milieu Rural) is a follow-on
to the SANRU I and II projects (1981-1991) which successfully developed
the decentralized health zone concept in 100 health zones.
For more information, visit SANRU’s website at www.sanru.org. A separate
website is under construction at www.sanru.net to provide information on
each of Congo’s 306 health zones, including the coordination of partner
agencies. If your organization has work in Congo, make sure that your information
is included.
