Elias Bongmba recalls a conversation he had with a friend from Bamenda, Cameroon, five years ago.
The friend had been convinced by others in his town that the HIV/AIDS-related deaths of many of his family members were the result of witchcraft.
The town of Bamenda, tucked in the northwest corner of Bongmba’s native country of Cameroon, has not escaped the HIV/AIDS pandemic that has devastated large parts of the African continent. Bongmba, who is scheduled to speak on campus today, argues that one of the obstacles to treating and preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS is the strong negative stigma still attached to the disease and the subsequent effort to hide it or deny its existence.
“I was so overcome with grief because I knew him, I knew everyone that (my friend) talked about. It was very difficult for me to even attempt to explain that (the cause of the deaths) was not witchcraft,” Bongmba said.
As a professor of African religion at Rice University, Bongmba said the African church ““ which he said includes the Christian church and African-initiated religions ““ has the potential to play a crucial role in the prevention and treatment of the disease. Bongmba was raised in the Christian tradition in Cameroon, which is why he focuses on Christianity in his study of religions in Africa.
Bongmba said the church can use its popularity and broad reach to work to eradicate the existing misconceptions associated with HIV/AIDS and teach people how to protect themselves against it.
“People flock to churches … and I think that the leaders of the churches could use that opportunity to continue to pass on a message on how people can prevent the further spread of HIV/AIDS,” Bongmba said.
HIV/AIDS is the tragedy of the 21st century, Bongmba said, and something the international and African communities should be extremely concerned about.
“It has compromised our humanity and existence as we know it,” he said.
He said he has experienced the impact of the pandemic firsthand in his travels to a number of countries in East Africa.
“I have seen the devastation and I have seen the grief; I have seen individuals and families wrestle with the disease,” he said.
Not only can the religious institution in Africa provide people with education on how to protect themselves and others from HIV/AIDS, but it is also in a unique position to provide and promote support for those living with or affected by the disease, Bongmba said.
“They can also … educate each other on what they need to do to support those who are living with HIV/AIDS and their families,” he said.
The UCLA African Studies Center is hosting Bongmba as part of an ongoing effort to shed light on the humanitarian side of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
“We have a large number of people who work on HIV/AIDS awareness on both sides of campus,” said Allen Roberts, director of the African Studies Center, mentioning the presence of clinical research on South Campus and humanitarian issues on North Campus.
“Elias is a great voice from Africa; he (is familiar with) both the work of parishioners and the theoretical and theological side of things,” Roberts said
Bongmba said as part of the church’s recognition of the disease, he would like to see a shift in its stance on condoms. The church has historically denounced the use of condoms and spread misconceptions that condoms encourage sexual desire or increase the risk of HIV infection.
“People should understand that if you take away condoms, you don’t take away the (sexual) desire,” he said.
“Condoms help prevent the transmission of HIV; I have not been able to understand why some churches have taken such an adamant stand against condoms.”
Cody Haight, a graduate student in the UCLA School of Public Health, said the African church could play an important role in helping women to feel comfortable protecting themselves and seeking health care.
“In terms of changing norms around gender and young women’s freedom to go and access health care without a fear of repercussions is a big place where the church could play a part because people listen to the church,” he said.