Faith Based Organization (FBO)

The Faith Based Organization (FBO) Technical Working Group (TWG) was formed on 6th January 2006. The team has been working in collaboration with Zanzibar Integrated HIV, TB and Leprosy Programme (ZIHTLP), and its members are drawn from Christian and Muslim’s institutions respectively. The involvement of religious leaders in AB campaign therefore, had been complementing other prevention strategies used by different partners to reduce new HIV infections in Zanzibar.

Faith based interventions within the Ministry of Health are coordinated by the Faith Based Organization Technical Working Group (TWG). The main purpose of this TWG is to support functional youth and faith-based initiatives that positively promote abstinence, faithfulness, partner reduction, and delayed sexual debut in a holistic manner as an important strategy for the prevention of new HIV infection in Zanzibar.

The HIV Faith Based Intervention targets youths and adults by focusing on the following:

• Spiritual, social, psychological and health gains associated with abstinence and faithfulness
• Personal risk assessment
• Adherence to faith-based teachings on abstinence and faithfulness contained in the Qur’an and Bible
• Awareness about the role of abstinence and faithfulness in the prevention of unplanned pregnancies and prevention of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV & AIDS
• Promotion of spiritual and pre-marriage counseling for couples

Goals

The goal of the FBO TWG is to bridge gaps of information and services within the Ministry of Health so that the intended populations change their behaviors in accessing the related services that could help in HIV/AIDS prevention in Zanzibar.