Beliefs of Pentecostal pastors on the use of antiretroviral treatment among Pentecostal Christians living with HIV in a suburb of Cape Town-South Africa

A community health systems lens

Dados Bibliográficos

ID15127307
AutoresIvo Nchendia Azia (0000-0003-4254-4922, University of the Western Cape, autor correspondente), Anam Nyembezi (0000-0003-4799-405X, University of the Western Cape), Shernaaz Carelse (0000-0002-9171-9082, University of the Western Cape), Ferdinand C Mukumbang (0000-0003-1441-2172, University of the Western Cape)
Ano2025
Volume40
Fascículo1
Páginas13-22
Data de publicação2025-01-11
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoHealth Policy and Planning (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0268-1080 • E-ISSN: 1460-2237
EditoraOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/heapol/czae089
PMID39259570
OpenAlexW4402432692
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas1
Referências citadas32

The global public health community accepts antiretroviral therapy (ART) for controlling and managing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, within some communities, claims of faith or miraculous healing of HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) by Pentecostal pastors continue to spark controversies. This paper reports on an exploratory qualitative study to explore the beliefs held by Pentecostal pastors regarding the use of ART among Pentecostal Christians who are living with HIV. Twenty (20) purposively selected Pentecostal pastors from two informal settlements in Cape Town, South Africa, participated in the study. Open-ended, semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews were conducted on their religious beliefs concerning ART adherence. Interviews were conducted in English, audiotaped and transcribed verbatim before being imported into the Atlas.ti 2023 software program for thematic data analysis. Since our study was guided by the relational community health system model a hybrid deductive–inductive thematic analysis was used. Two contrasting themes about the influence of the religious beliefs of Pentecostal pastors were identified. The first theme and its associated subthemes highlight the lack of basic HIV and ART knowledge among pastors. Consequently, these pastors tend to nudge their Christians to rely more on faith and spiritual healing at the expense of adherence to ART. The second theme and its related sub-themes suggest that some pastors possess some basic HIV knowledge and understand the role of ART and how it works. This group of pastors advise their congregants to use ART and other healthcare services in tandem with spiritual rituals, faith and prayers. Our findings highlight the need for functional community-based structures, such as community health committees and health facility management committees, in settings where complex interaction within the belief systems, practices and norms of some stakeholders can influence people’s health-seeking behaviours such as adherence to chronic medications like ART

Antiretroviral therapy · Antiretroviral treatment · Archaeology · Cape · Developing country · Economic growth · Environmental health · Family medicine · Geography · Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Viral load · Gender Studies · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Medicine · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare · Religion, Society, and Development · Optometry