Tanzania launches a campaign for HIV Testing countrywide in Dodoma

“… According to latest survey reports 52.2 per cent of Tanzanians infected by HIV know their status of which 55.9 are female and 45.1 % are male…”

This was said by H.E. Kassim Majaliwa Majaliwa in Dodoma recently while officiating at a nationwide HIV testing campaign “Furaha yangu” literally meaning “My pleasure” meant to encourage all Tanzanians, especially men and youth to go for testing and start early treatment if found HIV positive. The Premier, emphasizing for people to participate in the campaign said that the Government targets to attain the global set goal of 90-90-90 by 2020. He expressed his disappointment that todate only 45.1% of male infected by HIV know their status compared to 55.9 for their female counterparts (at ages 15 – 64). He further added that about 1.4m people are infected with HIV, representing only 5% of the county’s 54.2 million people.

“Efforts must be put in place now to protect the 95% from being infected and also safeguarding the existing 5% from new infections and death”. He said.

He further directed all Regional and district Commissioners to work with HIVAIDS stakeholders to sensitize people at the respective regions including at the workplaces, to take HIV tests and start early treatment. He categorically insisted for men to participate in the campaign as their turn out to such initiatives is normally very low compared to their female counterparts. It is also noted that men have poor health seeking behaviour which limits them for accessing proper information and HIV prevention services.

Speaking at the same occasion, the Minister PMO – Policy, Labour, Youth, Employment and people with disability, Hon. Jenister Mhagama (MP) commended all stakeholders including the ILO, UNAIDS, USAID and others for their support to the Government’s efforts in combating the HIVAIDS scourge. She emphasized that the campaign will not only provide the actual number of people infected by HIV so as to start early medication but also be a key to save and enable the national labour force to contribute to national development. She further added that youth are the most affected (40% of the total infected). Statistics also show that HIV is more prevalent in the working age particularly those in their late 30’s, when they are at the peak of their productivity.

“…Special efforts must therefore be put so as to protect and enable them to fully participate in the national development initiatives…”. She added.

Globally, according to the latest ILO report (2018), number of workers living with HIV was 26.6 million in 2015, and is projected to rise to close to 30 million in 2020. In Tanzania alone, 1,198,810 workers were living with HIV in 2015.

The ILO, under the UN Joint Programme on HIV and AIDS is therefore collaborating with the Government, social partners and other stakeholders to implement the above campaign to mobilise workers communities, especially men to know their HIV status as a basis for initiating early treatment and prevention.

The campaign is intended to cover about 20 regions including – Arusha, Kagera, Geita, Shinyanga, Kigoma, Mwanza, Mara, Tabora, Singida, Iringa, Njombe, Mtwara, Morogoro, Lindi, Ruvuma, Dodoma, Kilimanjaro, Manyara and Simiyu. It will run for six (6) months after which a report will be prepared by the campaign task force and submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office.