Evaluation of the Developmental Bible: A program to integrate HIV and other reproductive health information in the teachings of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church

Abstract

For many remote rural Ethiopian communities, religious structures are often the only sustained contact
with a formal institution, and so, they provide opportunity for conveying health and developmental
messages directly to a large audience. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church (EOTC) is the country’s
largest religious institution. The Developmental Bible (DB) project took advantage of its significant reach
to convey key health and development messages to its congregants.
The DB project sets out to incorporate health and other development messages in the teachings of the
Church to be passed as key messages during Church sermons by trained priests. The evaluation of the
DB project also sets out to establish the advantages of using indigenous structures of the Church and to
demonstrate that the Church could be a partner for social change and development.
The DB project was a twoâ€year pilot project conducted during 2008–2010. The project was launched
following the formulation of DB manual, training of active priests in clergy training centers and theology
colleges. A quasiâ€experimental research design with baseline and endline surveys was used to measure
changes between baseline and endline in HIV knowledge, attitude and stigma, as well as attitudes about
FGM/C. Results were measured against baseline values.
The results show positive changes, with significant increases in knowledge of modes of HIV transmission
among priests, youth and women, and in knowledge of HIV prevention methods for priests and youth
groups. An increase in the proportions of respondents who believe FGM/C should be discontinued was
also documented. Findings for other attitudinal indicators showed mixed results.