HIV & AIDS



Background:

The HIV epidemic in Tanzania poses a major threat to the national development and has been declared a national disaster in 1999. For over two decades, efforts have been underway to control it and seem to bear fruit.

While the findings from the Tanzania HIV/AIDS Survey 2003-04 (THIS I) indicated that 7% of Tanzanian adults aged 15-49 were infected with HIV, with the prevalence among women being higher (8%) than among men (6%), the THMIS (2007-08) shows a prevalence of only 5.7%. This is consistent with the finding that HIV prevalence dropped countrywide in the younger age group of 15-24 year old, from 3.5% in 2003/04 to 2.4% in 2007/08, which corroborates possible positive behaviour change in this important age group.

Component objective:

The population in the programme areas adopts increasingly preventive behaviour and uses multisectoral HIV/AIDS control services offered by public or private providers.

Approach:

TGPSH support is based on the first National Multisectoral Strategic Framework (NMSF) on HIV and AIDS (2003-2007) and the second NMSF (2008-2012), developed by TACAIDS as well as on the GTZ hands-on experience gained in 4 Regions. The component aims at supporting government and non-government organisations at national, regional, district and community level to develop, plan and implement comprehensive, multisectoral AIDS control strategies. At the central level, TGPSH assists TACAIDS in policy development and in scaling up the multisectoral response.  TGPSH also provides direct support to the regional, district and community level in Mbeya, Tanga, Lindi and Mtwara Regions. Through collaboration with other bi- and multilateral partners the component supports the Tanzanian Government in implementing the national AIDS policy, the health sector reform programme and the national care and treatment plan for PLHIV. AIDS control in the public sector is supported through HIV workplace programmes in over 10 Ministries, Departments and Agencies. The business sector is addressed through cooperation with the AIDS Business Coalition Tanzania (ABCT) which promotes HIV workplace programmes in the private sector, e.g. tea and sisal estates, factories, and companies.

Activities

The Multisectoral AIDS Control component aims to;

  1. Support HIV workplace programmes in both, public and private sector
  2. Support the development of sector-specific AIDS control activities
  3. Support TACAIDS efforts to involve civil society organisations in the national AIDS response as well as support the District councils in planning and implementing multisectoral AIDS control activities
  4. Support Council Health Management Teams (CHMTs) and  Council Multisectoral AIDS Committees (CMACs) in planning, implementation and monitoring of AIDS control activities
  5. Strengthen monitoring of the trend of the epidemic through annual sentinel surveillance
  6. Train and support counsellors for voluntary counselling and testing
  7. Train home-based care providers based in health facilities and in the communities
  8. Train service providers for case management of sexually transmitted infections
  9. Develop target group-specific information materials
  10. Support condom promotion and increased availability of condoms
  11. Support innovative approaches for behavioural change (e.g. Chezasalama, Connect and Learn Initiative, Muhimbili University Health Exchange Forum, Theatre for Development, Community Theatre, Films for Development)
  12. Support capacity building of influential groups, i.e. political (e.g. parliamentarians) and religious leaders, as well as madrasa teachers

Impact – what has been achieved

    1. In Mbeya, one of the Regions most affected by the epidemic, HIV prevalence dropped significantly from about 20% in the mid 90ties to 13.5% in 2003/04 (THIS I) and to 9.2% in 2007/08 (THMIS). This goes along with an increase of people participating in voluntary counselling and HIV-testing, the expansion of anti-retroviral treatment and home-based care services, an increase of condom sales and an increased access to PMTCT. HIV/AIDS-related knowledge increased in decision-makers such as religious leaders, teachers, traditional healers and civil servants.
    2. Over 10 Ministries, Departments and Agencies as well as many private companies such as the tea industry, have introduced comprehensive HIV workplace programmes in order to care for their workforce.
    3. In collaboration with religious leaders of the Muslim Council (BAKWATA) an HIV policy has been developed, which is being used countrywide.
    4. Public health facilities and civil society organisations increasingly support home-based care services which are designed to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on individual households.

A list of key relevant documents is availble for download below:


 
2006 Copyright Tanzanian-German Programme to Support Health.