Faith in Action  Zanzibar Muft Office Champions HIV Testing Through Religious Trust.

Faith in Action  Zanzibar Muft Office Champions HIV Testing Through Religious Trust.

In Zanzibar, the Muft Office emerged as a powerful partner in advancing HIV testing and awareness within communities, demonstrating the transformative power of faith-driven leadership in public health.

Recognizing the unique influence of religious spaces, the Muft Office supported the integration of HIV testing into mosques making it easier for community members to access services in familiar and trusted environments. The effort helped reduce stigma, improve openness around testing, and brought life-saving services closer to home.

“Sheikh Othman Mohamed Saleh, Director of Planning and Administration at the Muft Office, emphasized how mosque-based initiatives made a difference: ‘We encouraged testing especially during Friday prayers, knowing the importance of collective responsibility for health in our faith.’”

The initiative helped normalize discussions about HIV and encouraged community members to take action without fear or shame.

By leveraging existing trust, values of compassion, and community structures, the Muft Office’s engagement illustrated how interfaith collaboration can be key in achieving public health goals.

The initiative was implemented under the Afya Kamilifu project, a five-year HIV prevention, testing, and treatment initiative funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and led by Amref Health Africa in collaboration with national and community partners.