Jonathan Quick, MD, MPH, Senior Fellow Emeritus at Management Sciences for Health and author of the book, The End of Epidemics and David Barstow, PhD, President, Empact Africa, developer of the documentary "How We Lost the War Against AIDS" discuss the role of faith communities in Ending Epidemics.

1. Our Sisters and Brothers Keepers
The Role of Faith Communities in Ending Epidemics
Dr Jonathan D.Quick
Dr David Barstow
July 14, 2018

2. AIDS
Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome
1st new human pandemic
in modern times

3. …but it didn’t
have to be a
death sentence.
By 2000, a chronic disease in the Global North
-- still a death sentence in the Global South…
SOURCE: Partners in Health

4. Number of people on
anti-retroviral treatment worldwide
Collective action:
Political leaders
Activists
Government
Faith Community
Private sector
Civil society
Universities
Making the impossible happen
-- largest public health treatment program in history

5. TAC – Activism in the streets
PEPFAR – An act of faith from the Oval Office

7. Panel of Experts, 28th International AIDS Conference, Durban, South Africa, July 2030
2020 Fast Track
Targets 90-90-90
2020 Fast Track
Targets 90-90-90
Actual 67-57-72

8. Panel of Experts, 28th International AIDS Conference, Durban, South Africa, July 2030

9. How We Lost the War Against AIDS
Panel of Experts, 28th International AIDS Conference, Durban, South Africa, July 2030
“We didn’t pay enough attention
to the social drivers”

10. How We Lost the War Against AIDS
“American leadership weakened
in the late 2010s”
“High-prevalence countries
didn’t take on the cost early enough”
“Many countries ignored
the epidemic for too long”
Panel of Experts, 28th International AIDS Conference, Durban, South Africa, July 2030

11. How We Lost the War Against AIDS
“Policies weren’t always aligned
with scientific evidence”
“We lost the trust of the people
we wanted to help”
“We didn’t educate our young
people about prevention”
Panel of Experts, 28th International AIDS Conference, Durban, South Africa, July 2030

12. Did Religion Help or Hurt the Global AIDS Response?
Panel of Experts, 28th International AIDS Conference, Durban, South Africa, July 2030

13. Did Religion Help or Hurt the Global AIDS Response?
Infrastructure
Social Drivers
Global Advocacy – –
 
  
Panel of Experts, 28th International AIDS Conference, Durban, South Africa, July 2030

15. The Power of Seven -- Critical actions to make the
world safer from devastating epidemics
Lead Like the House Is on Fire – urgency, decisiveness, courage
Resilient Systems, Global Security – strong public-health systems
Active Prevention – personal prevention habits, mosquito control
TimelyTruths – trusted sources, local engagement
Innovation – breakthroughs to prevent, control, eliminate threats
Invest Wisely – an extra $7.5 billion annually
Ring the Alarm – Citizen activists and social movements

16. Stronger health systems – 2/3 of countries are not prepared to
prevent, detect, and respond to epidemic threats
16
SOURCE: https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/healthprotection/fieldupdates/winter-2017/joint-external-evaluation.html

17. 17
Timely Truths – trusted sources, local engagement
Turning around the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone
Confirmed weekly Ebola
cases, 2014-2015

18. What could kill millions and devastate economies worldwide?
1. Pandemic influenza
2. Known viruses with pandemic potential
3. WHO “Disease X”
4. Bioterror & Bio-error

19. The Christian dedication to caring
A new command I give you: As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
– John 13:34-35
Easter Sunday, 260 AD, Bishop Dionysius of Corinth,
at the height of the Cyprian Plague (251-266 AD)
Most of our brother Christians showed unbounded love and
loyalty, never sparing themselves, and thinking only of one
another.
Heedless of danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to
their every need and ministering to them in Christ, and with
them departed this life serenely happy.

20. Why are we compelled to end epidemics? -- A theology
of solidarity and justice in the “care for our common home”
Obstructionist attitudes, even on the part of believers, can range from denial
of the problem to indifference, nonchalant resignation or blind confidence in
technical solutions. We require a new and universal solidarity. (14)
Intergenerational solidarity is not optional, but rather a basic question
of justice, since the world we have received also belongs to those who
will follow us. (159)
Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life
of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian
experience. (217)
SOURCE: LAUDATO SI’ Encyclical letter of Pope Francis (2015)

21. Common Voice Initiative
• Advocacy and commitment across a broad range of religious
leaders and traditions
• We will be stronger if we focus on what unites us, rather than
what divides us

22. “We can’t treat our way out of this epidemic”

23. Common Voice – Examples
• Common Values
• Treat all human beings with dignity and respect
• Reach out to the marginalized and protect the vulnerable
• Misuse of Religion
• Judgmental attitudes
• Faith healing
• Commitments
• Global advocacy
• Personal responsibility to prevent HIV transmission

24. Common Voice – Next Steps
• AIDS Conference – Initial Draft
• “Common Values and a Common Voice”
• “From Common Commitment to Collective Action”
• Four Months – Revise and Refine
• Consultations and reviews
• Broader base of religious traditions
• World AIDS Day
• Completed documents
• Global advocacy campaign

26. Common Voice &
The End of
Epidemics:
Can we build a faith-
driven movement,
that:
 wins the war against
AIDS
 to break the cycle of
panic and complacency
that leave the world
vulnerable

27. By this all people will know you are my disciples…
We can leave our children a safer world. But will we?
Jonathan D. Quick, MD, MPH
jquick@msh.org
@jonoquick
www.endofepidemics.com
David R. Barstow, PhD
drbarstow@empactafrica.org
Common Voice Initiative
iacfaith.org/blog/speaking-with-a-common-voice