The SCOPE Project | Faith + Medicine

SCOPE—Strengthening Care Opportunities through Partnership in Ethiopia—is a unique partnership involving elements of faith and medicine between University Presbyterian Church, the University of Washington Department of Global Health, the University of Gondar, Ethiopia, and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, committed to serving the community of Gondar, specifically providing HIV/AIDS testing and care. In Ethiopia, more than 1.3 million people are infected with the AIDS virus. So far, more than 67,000 people have died from HIV/AIDS. AIDS-related illnesses cause almost two-thirds of all deaths in the country.

Three years ago UPCer Nancy Andrews was inspired by a World Vision presentation to find out more about what the church is doing about HIV/AIDS. She started talking with people, and soon discovered some very unexpected connections between what would become the three main partners in this powerful relationship. Since then the team has experienced exciting growth.

In November 2010, the SCOPE team staged an HIV/AIDS testing campaign with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in conjunction with the opening of a new museum of church relics. During the festivities, Archbishop Abune Elsa was tested for HIV, and encouraged attendees to do the same. Eight hundred and twenty-four people were tested over 3 days—more than had been tested in the previous three months. Knowing your status is the key to fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS.

The SCOPE project funds fellowships to discover areas where religious and medical systems coincide and to foster those relationships in order to improve access to testing and care. Within the structure of the Orthodox Church, priests have close relationships with the families they minister to. Through the SCOPE project, priests are equipped to provide information and resources to families who may have no other access to such knowledge.

Read more in the January 2011 issue of the UPC Times, and on the SCOPE website.

Pray

Please pray for continued guidance and strengthening of this relationship as we seek to respond to God's call to serve the people of Gondar.

Give

Consider giving a financial gift to support this ministry. Give online here. First you'll need to log in to your Fellowship One account, or create a new one. Once logged in, select "Missions – Global" from the drop-down menu as the fund, and "SCOPE" as the sub fund.

Engage

For more information and ways to get involved, contact Nancy Andrews.