WCC NEWS: Annual Communities of Faith Breakfast will urge building partnerships to sustain HIV response

The annual Communities of Faith Breakfast will be held in New York City on 26 September with the theme “Building Partnerships to Sustain the HIV response Through 2030 and Beyond.” New York City, September 21 2023- The Wrold Council of Churches, UNAIDS and PEPFAR hosted the Communities of Faith Prayer Breakfast during the high level week of the UN General Assembly, gathering faith leaders and other health care leaders and practitioners to learn and pray together about the current state of AIDS among children and the rest of the population. Photo: Simon Chambers/ACT 19 September 2024 This event has been held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly since 2014, bringing together leaders from political, religious, business, and civil society sectors, as well as communities of people living with HIV. The breakfast aims to foster collaboration between the faith sector and global health initiatives for a more effective and sustainable HIV response. The event is hosted by faith partners collaborating with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, and the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, with support from the World Council of Churches. The breakfast aims to unite diverse stakeholders in the collective effort to end AIDS. With resources declining and interest waning, the need for robust partnerships and collaborations, particularly with the faith sector, has never been more critical. This event serves as a call to action, urging all stakeholders to rally behind ongoing efforts to address HIV, with a particular focus on the pediatric HIV agenda. A key emphasis will be placed on the renewed commitment to UNAIDS and PEPFAR, highlighting the need for sustained investment in global HIV programs, especially those that prioritize children, who are central to our vision of an AIDS-free future. The 2024 breakfast will also underscore the pivotal role that faith-based organizations, religious leaders, and faith communities play in sustaining and advancing the HIV response as we approach the 2030 targets and beyond. See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland