From 14-18 August 2011 the HIV & AIDS Program held a workshop to educate activist in the areas of TB & HIV treatment.

This workshop took place at IELM (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Angola) Shangalala Mission in Angola. LUCSA and IELA partnered with a local NGO specializing in the mainstreaming of HIV & AIDS into development.

 The workshop covered the following areas:

-Basic facts of HIV & AIDS, TB, STIs and other opportunistic infections, ART in adults and children, advocacy, networking, collaboration, monitoring, and report writing. As a 'pioneer project' of LUCSA, this group was the first to receive this particular training, and the first to be actively engaged in the issues of advocacy for IELA.

The activists cited a number of challenges such as: limited to no stock of ARVsin local hospitals, shortages of HIV test kits and female condoms, food shortages, high illiteracy levels, and various reports of breaches in confidentiality at certain health centres. The group recommended that IELA, as a church body, and other stakeholders advocate on behalf of local communities for improved service delivery and resource allocation.With further pressure being applied by all the parties involved the hope is that HIV testing will be scaled up in rural areas.

 The activists concluded that they must work closely with the church, government, and community leaders to achieve better results in these areas.