By Mohammad Shakir

The past week has seen faith and prayer become involved with the cure and prevention of HIV once again.

In London, Manchester and Glasgow, members of an evangelical church died after taking advice from their pastor to stop taking HIV medication and put their belief in God to heal them.

This reminds me of a parable that I once heard:

Once upon a time there was a man that lived by the river. He heard a radio report that the river was going to rush up and flood the town. The report said that the whole town should evacuate immediately. But the man said, “I’m religious, I pray. God loves me. God will save me.”

But the waters began to rise. A man in a rowing boat came along and he shouted. ‘Hey! Hey you! You up there. The town is flooding. I can take you to safety.’ But the man shouted back: “I’m religious, I pray. God loves me. God will save me.”

A helicopter came hovering overhead. A guy with a megaphone shouted. ‘Hey! You there! The town is fully flooded. Let me drop down a ladder and I will help you to safety.’ But the men shouted back that he was religious, that he prayed, that God loved him and that God would take him to safety.

The man then drowned. When he got to the pearly gates of St Peter, he demanded an audience with God. ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘I’m a religious man, I pray. I thought you loved me. Why did this happen?’ God said, ‘I sent you a radio report, a helicopter, and a guy in a rowing boat. What on earth are you doing here?’

We have been blessed by God, the wonders of science and medical advancements which help our health every day. As a Muslim I believe that God has given me my health and the means to maintain my health. Much like the radio report, row boat and helicopter; HIV medication should be seen as blessing from God – an answer to the prayers of those living with HIV.

There is an old saying: “The Lord works in mysterious ways.” A Muslim believes in pre destination – which God has already decided what our fate will be. Regardless of what our situation is whether it is medical, financial or personal – we should to what we have in front of us and use our means to the best of our ability.

By Mohammad Shakir

Our reliance on technology is an aspect of life which is increasing as computers, phones and home appliances become more advanced to make our lives easier.

10 years ago it would have been unlikely that someone could receive an email on a mobile phone, but this week’s outage at Blackberry affected millions of users worldwide some of those who rely on their phones as mobile offices.

Sometimes I think we need to take a step back. It is wonderful that the world can be at our fingertips through the technology that is available to us. But there is more ways to conduct our daily lives than through mobiles.

Similarly – with HIV, drugs and technology are only part of the solution to ensure that people living with HIV and the communities affected can live normal lives and that there is a reduction in transmissions.

While the effectiveness of drugs is not in doubt, the affordability of drugs especially in the more densely affected areas in the developing world is the key issue. We need different ways to tackle HIV such as education, awareness, support and encouragement. Mental support for a person living with HIV is as crucial as drugs. If a person doesn’t receive support and understanding – then they may lose the will to live.

So when you technology fails on you next time, look at the different routes you can achieve your goals. There are always other ways.

Recent weeks has seen news of cuts to HIV and the rising risk of HIV transmission to migrants. Well today we have not just one, but two items of good news which can give hope.

In the UK a study by researchers from the University of Bristol has found that life expectancy for people with HIV in the UK has increased by 15 years in the past decade, thanks to modern drugs and earlier treatment.

In addition to this there has been news from India that a project run by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has helped to prevent 100,000 HIV infections in six states around India.

These stories show that a variety of methods to disrupt HIV is the way forward. The UK has been using a mixture of drugs and earlier testing and in India the foundation has used counselling amongst those under the highest risk of infection.

Sir Francis Bacon’s quote that “Knowledge is Power” is something we take very seriously at the IHIVF. Helping raise awareness of the simplest prevention methods such as a change in lifestyle can help reduce HIV prevalence. We have to understand that people in poverty cannot afford the drugs and expensive treatment and should not be expected to rely on handouts from charitable organisations. We have to help them stand on their own feet – out of poverty and teaching them prevention methods which don’t cost a relative fortune.