Pretoria, South Africa, Feb 9, 2010 / 02:43 am
Management of a large South Africa AIDS consortium led by Catholic Relief Services will be shifted into the control of the Southern Africa Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) and two other local organizations. A recent gathering marked the longtime partnership between the two organizations.
The AIDSRelief consortium supports HIV care and treatment for more than 60,000 people with the assistance of a very large U.S. grant. Part of the support has come through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). St. Mary’s Hospital and the Institute for Youth Development-South Africa will manage the program with the SACBC.
At a Feb. 3 celebration of the partnership between the SACBC and Catholic Relief Services (CRS), CRS South Africa Country Representative Ruth Stark said the event honors the “commitment and success of the Catholic Church in caring for the world’s largest population of people with HIV.”
Speaking to the SACBC, Stark reported that about 150 people attended, including officials from the Catholic Church, the South African government and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.