NAIROBI NOVEMBER 21, 2014(CISA)-Religious leaders through the All Africa Conference of Churches will on November 24- 26 hold regional consultations on the role of faith communities in response to address the Ebola crisis.

The consultation to be held at the AACC Conference Centre, Nairobi,  aims to draw together 70 participants representing health professionals and Church health associations, Councils of Churches, religious leaders, theologians, representatives from the Africa Christian Health Associations Platform (ACHAP), Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network,(EPN) All Africa Conference of Churches, the World Council of Churches, Theological Institutions, UN agencies, ACT Alliance, Faith communions , Caritas Internationalis, and other critical stakeholders.

However the organizers of the conference have expressed worries that some representatives from affected countries may be unable to attend due to travel restrictions (including the General Secretary of the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone)

The General Secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches is scheduled to open the conference, and will be joined by the General Secretary from Sierra Leone if his application is approved by the Kenyan Government

“Whilst international agencies can provide protective clothing and life-supporting treatment therapies, the faith community can be valuable conduits of factual information to address stigma issues, provide preventative messages and compassionate alternative burial ceremonies and rituals, and provide psychosocial and pastoral counselling to the many traumatised family members and health care providers,” stated a media invite sent to CISA by the All Africa Conference of Churches.