An estimated 20,000 participants including scientists, health care providers, political, community and business

leaders, journalists, government, non-governmental and intergovernmental representatives, and people living with HIV/AIDS participated in the 2006 International AIDS Conference that was held in Toronto, Canada, August 13-18.

Although the real star of the 7 day conference was prevention -- which long took the back seat to treatment imperatives to save lives. Now, for the first time in memory, delegates at the AIDS conference stopped squabbling over treatment vs. prevention, and began to speak of the two as indivisible parts of a total epidemic response. Behind this is a growing consensus that without prevention, the world can't afford to treat the epidemic affecting 40 million and growing by 4 million new infections a year.

This supports what Church leaders have been pursuing and saying for years that there needs to be a return to traditional family values and fidelity intervention in order to strategically reach every sector of society that is affected by AIDS.

While the Church understands that traditional family values and fidelity intervention alone will not stop AIDS, it has altogether for years been one of the missing links in AIDS prevention.

To help win the fight, “the United Nations campaign against the growing HIV and AIDS problem now supports messages from the pulpit, not necessarily suggesting the use of condoms but the traditional Church prescription of abstinence and loyalty to partners.” Inquirer 12/20/05

That’s rare good news in the developing arsanal in the fight against AIDS who for years criticized the church for standing by the traditional values of abstinence and marriage.

In response to the growing AIDS crisis The Orphans of AIDS foundation calls for an immediate response from every church, parish and congregation, and challenges every ecumenical leader to take action against the AIDS pandemic through educational programs of awareness, care and support.

To better help congregations put into practice and benefit from this unique opportunity we have formed the Pastor’s Commission on AIDS to initiate a forum where faith and action can unite together and create a bridge of communal understanding.

To learn more about Church-based strategies click here, AIDS and the Church