Latvian Bible Society challenges the marginalisation of HIV/AIDS patients

Based on a report by the Rev Dr Valdis Teraudkalns,
General Secretary of the Latvian Bible Society

RIGA, Latvia — Well over a decade since the first case of AIDS was diagnosed in Latvia, many Latvians still find it hard to acknowledge that their country has not been spared from the scourge of this disease. Even though the number of HIV/AIDS patients has risen rapidly [More...], society as a whole remains uneasy about tackling the prevention of this disease and the care of its victims, some 60 per cent of whom are under 30 years old.

Negative responses

As in many other countries, some overt discrimination against HIV/AIDS patients takes place, and even in the absence of discrimination, patients often feel marginalised and neglected. In a small country such as Latvia, people who become infected with HIV/AIDS are often reluctant to tell others, fearing that the news will soon spread and bring negative responses.

HIV/AIDS has long been a source of unease within church circles in Latvia, too. For the Latvian Bible Society, the motivation to address this unease and take up the challenge of reaching out to HIV/AIDS patients came from Inga, an employee of the Dialogue support centre for HIV/AIDS patients. Early last year, she told Bible Society staff that physical healing is not necessarily the only goal of those being treated at the centre. For many (like Alexander – see story), achieving spiritual health is equally important.

Alexander’s story Alexander, a volunteer at the Dialogue centre, is one of the few people infected with HIV who is willing to speak openly about his condition. When he was diagnosed HIV-positive a few years ago, he started to become interested in spirituality and became an active member of a local Jehovah’s Witness group. He attended Bible studies as often as five times a week and found that his faith changed his lifestyle and gave him peace. He no longer belongs to the group, but he still believes that faith in God is a great source of support for the other HIV/AIDS patients he encounters.    “All of them say that faith helps them to live. They all pray to God.”    Alexander now runs a support group for HIV/AIDS patients in Riga, and once a month he leads a Bible study session at which materials supplied by the Latvian Bible Society are used.

“It’s because they have nothing else to hold on to,” she explained.

The Bible Society’s response was to identify illustrated Selections within three series – In Your Time of Need, In Your Time of Sorrow and In Your Time of Illness – which it felt would address the spiritual needs of HIV/AIDS patients. These are now being supplied to the support centre alongside copies of the New Testament in Russian. In order to fund this program, the Society turned to its 1,500 younger donors, reflecting the fact that HIV/AIDS has particularly affected the younger generation. The program will continue for as long as there are donors willing not only to give money but also to challenge the marginalisation of HIV/AIDS patients.

Well received

Initial reports indicate that the Selections and New Testaments have been very well received. Indeed, such was the interest in the first batch that staff at the centre had to ask patients who received copies to return them after reading them so that they could be made available to others!
Encouraged by this response, the Bible Society is also looking at ways of raising awareness of the problem of HIV/AIDS infection. So far, work in this area has included inviting the Director of the support centre to speak at a conference of church leaders and other interested parties at the University of Latvia, and introducing an annual ecumenical service at which prayers are said for HIV/AIDS patients. (WR 386/17 - 6/7.04)

* In 2001 there were an estimated 5,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in Latvia, out of a population of 2.3 million, according to the CIA World Factbook.