What's God got to do with it?

Just as you can not ignore culture and ethnicity when confronting AIDS in Africa, it would be a mistake to dismiss the role of religion. Religion permeates so much in this arena, from missionary hospitals to PEPFAR policies to patient and provider beliefs and behavior.

Religion does not necessarily need to be a divisive force. A friend of mine, Jennifer Gross, worked at a Christian faith-founded hospital while in the Peace Corps though she was not Christian. And I happen to work with a Catholic faith-based organization, Reach Out Mbuya, while not being Catholic.

Photo: The motto for Kiwoko Hospital where Ms. Gross worked. A hospital in the middle of nowhere originally founded by missionaries. Interesting fact: Hospital has baby incubators run off solar power. Taken February 2005.