Prosecute pastors in ‘HIV healing’ claims- MIAA

Faith leaders who tell people with HIV to stop taking their life-saving drugs  should face prosecution, Malawi Interfaith Aids Association (MIAA) has suggested.

NAC Acting Director of Programs Dr Andrina Mwansambo and MIA Executive Director Robert Ngaiyaye briefs members of Press in Lilongwe-pic by Lisa Vintulla
NAC Acting Director of Programs Dr Andrina Mwansambo and MIA Executive Director Robert Ngaiyaye briefs members of Press in Lilongwe-pic by Lisa Vintulla

MIAA has since appealed to the Malawi Law Society (MLS), Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) and the entire Civil Society Organizations community to provide the grouping with guidance on how the law can take its course on religious leaders who forces HIV/Aids patients to stop taking antiretroviral medication.

There reports that many people with HIV have died after they stopped taking antiretroviral drugs on the advice of their Christian pastors.

“Let me appeal to Malawi Law Society, Human Rights Commission to provide MIAA with guidance on how the law can take its course” said MIAA Executive Director Robert Ngaiyaye  said  in Lilongwe.

Ngaiyaye  called on the government to do more to prevent faith leaders encouraging people with HIV to stop taking their drugs, saying this is a violation of their rights to health and life.

“It is not right to allow certain section of people to deprieve others of their rights to life and good health because of their conditions at the pretense of praying for them. The right to health and life here is being violated,” added Ngaiyaye.

Ngaiyaye emphasized that it is high time his association get proper advice on the way forward on how to address the problem because the situation has gone out of hand.

He therefore called upon human rights activists and their organizations and the general public in general to support MIAA’s course to ensure People living with HIV have the right to life.

For so long, many people have been told by religious leaders to stop taking the life prolonged drug for HIV!Aids patients after being prayed for.

Recently, a local newspaper reported that in Nkhatabay five people died after a religious leader asked the to abandon ARV’s after he prayed for them.

“This is a very disturbing development and would like to appeal to religious leaders to stop this practice as it has no theological nor the holy scriptures backing,”said Ngaiyaye.

While calling upon the media to write more on the dangers of abandoning ARV’s MIAA Executive Director has also requested people living with HIV/Aids themselves to be proactive by stopping listening to religious leaders who request them to stop taking ARVs.

Through MIAA, religious leaders agreed in 2008 that ARVs and prayers should go together.

Recent statistics indicates that thousands of people living with HIV/Aids have defaulted taking ARVs with Chikwawa being the highest district followed by Mangochi, Mchinji, Ntcheu, Karonga among others.

Ministry of Health spokesman said prayer is not a substitute for HIV treatment, advising that faith organisations can make a positive contribution to raising awareness of HIV by highlighting the benefits of testing and effective antiretroviral treatment.

 

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MIAA get lost!!!
MIAA get lost!!!
8 years ago

MIAA is a speaker of devil,devil wants all malawians on ARV,you catch more money when people taking these useless drugs,mind you,GOD can close your mounth,do you say GOD is failing to heal AIDS? am one of those who healed from HIV/AIDS through faith

mweSA
mweSA
8 years ago

You Ti retract your words ..God is not a man to be insulted. You can insult anyone but not God. The voice and breath you are using is from God. Know God is loving but ask for forgiveness. Never never insult God again.

mweSA
mweSA
8 years ago

This is the voice of the devil ! MIAA do you have any faith in you. Serious you don’t deserve to talk on faith fir sure .. just close if you want to fight God. Bob I don’t want to make you a prayer point. Repent before its too late.

Tt
Tt
8 years ago

Guys, your guys are absolute morons, they cant do anything. God has never never never healed an amputee, despite his claim of being very powerful! He is a joke, an idiot with ego! He brags but does nothing, he is useless!!!

sekulu
sekulu
8 years ago

The Malawi Law Society, The MIA is a bunch of scientists (the Pharisees, Scribes, Sadduccees) who in John 9 told that boy never to say the Lord Jesus has healed him. The same the did in John 11: 43- after the raising of Lazarus. For twelve years science and them good doctors failed that woman with the blood issue but the very minute she touched the lord Jesus both physically and spiritually she was made well. I am the Lord that heals all your sicknesses (Psalms 103:1-5) and by His stripes we were healed (Isaiah 53:5). If La, Fansidar, Quinine… Read more »

Chakhalira
Chakhalira
8 years ago

Koma I seriously doubt the faith this MIAA group is advocating. Is it faith in God or in ARVS?
Enafe we have Full testimonies that God through His word heals ALL diseases. I am afraid that the arguement MIAA is advocating in condemning Pastors and Prophets in a blanket manner has serious potential to discredit the works of God. This should be stopped. Do NOT use your organization to suppress Gods’ work MIAA.
God Heals All Diseases!

munthu
munthu
8 years ago

plz ARVs does not heal some one with AIDS,..its only a life prolonging drug, so by encouraging to adhere to the drug does nt mean that they will not die of the disease..,nooooo. they will die but not very soon. while stoping ARVs will make things worse. yes pple hv rights whether to take drugs or not but no one shud misread pple on this by telling pple things which even them selves do not believe.
despite that we go to church to pray, we have our belief no one shud make pple to believe what they believe….NOOOOO

Chakhalira
Chakhalira
8 years ago

Dalitso!
Do not confuse Theology and healing in the Bible. I have worked with Theologians for so many years and many of them never belive in Biblical Healing. The Only standard I know is: Believe in God The Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit and have Faith in what His Word says and Act on what the word says. Basi tele!

Dya Mani
Dya Mani
8 years ago

The comments from these diehard zealots are nothing but laughable

ELIJAH SIMKONDA
8 years ago

SOME WHO DRINK ARV’S DIE TOO. WHO SHOULD BE ARRESTED IN THIS CASE? DO NOT BE AN AGENT TO PROSECUTE PASTORS.

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