Abstract: Submission #193

Abstract In this article, I explore religion and spirituality as coping mechanisms assisting Older Persons Living with HIV (OPLHIV) in Korogwe District in Tanzania. Specific attention is to OPLHIV religious conduct, how OPLHIV perception of God influence their wellness, influence of religious and spiritual practices in coping mechanisms applied by OPLHIV. Findings of the study result from in-depth interviews conducted with 13 purposefully selected OPLHIV living in Korogwe. In the article, findings are categorized as follows; (i) OPLHIV consider being spiritual or more religious after being diagnosed with HIV, (ii) Understanding God, His Messengers and his “messengers” directly affects the health of OPLHIV and (iii) Religion and Spirituality bring optimism about the future the older one grows with HIV infection. Thorough analysis of the findings direct the study towards recommending that… (i)Religious leaders must state clearly their health policy before the central, local government and the people (ii) More awareness is needed, backed by empirical evidence on religious and spiritual practices that have taken OPLHIV to their doom (iii) Social works must have adequate knowledge and context related skills to make people aware on how to apply spirituality and religious practices to improve their quality of life physically, mentally and socially.