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Tanzania: Presidential Plan Funds Fight Against HIV/Aids
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The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
18 February 2008
Posted to the web 19 February 2008
Rose Athumani
The fight against HIV/Aids through various awareness creating campaigns has been largely made possible by the Presidential Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) among other donors.
Last year Tanzania received $205.5 million (Sh236.325) from PEPFAR to run integrated prevention, care and treatment programs to place US as one of the leading partners in the fight against the disease in Tanzania.
By the end of this year Tanzania expects to receive $817.1 million (about Sh939.665 billion) in the fight against HIV/Aids, thanks to the visit of President George Bush.
Programs for the fight against HIV/Aids include chezasalama, Kiswahili words literally meaning 'play safely'. This is an initiative promoting healthy lifestyles and HIV/Aids prevention. The other is the 'Sikia Kengele' program, Kiswahili words literally meaning 'hear the bell'.
The latter program has added another cap in the fight against the HIV/Aids scourge following the launch of the national testing and treatment campaign last year by President Jakaya Kikwete.
The 'Sikia Kengele' campaign is an initiative that aims at taking more preventive measures against infection by delivering on-the-spot and specific messages targeting vulnerable groups.
"This is a nation-wide initiative that encourages faithfulness as a major way of averting HIV/Aids infection," explained Mr Fred Nthiga from Integrated Communication, the firm behind the campaign.
He explained that the strongest selling point for the campaign is highlighting behavioural change.
"The 'Simian Kenneled' campaign, in its own unique way, literally uses a bell as a symbol to portray a wake-up call for behavioral change," said Mr Nthiga. According to him faithfulness could have significant effects on the anti-HIV/Aids campaign.
The T-Marc Communications Manager, Mr James Chialo, said the firm has received $22 million (about Sh25.3 billion) for a period of five years since 2004 through PEPFAR.
The fund would be used in the fight against HIV/Aids, child survivors as well as reproductive health and malaria initiatives, he said.
At the launch of the Dar es Salaam campaign, for example, participants were allowed to explore the positive influence in reduction of the number of their sexual partners.
"This is a multi-channel communications campaign whose purpose is to encourage people to change their sexual behavior through partner reduction and being faithful," Mr Nthiga said.
The campaigners would meet with opinion leaders such as religious leaders, peer groups and politicians.
They would hold discussions on the risks associated with keeping multiple sexual partners and benefits of knowing one's health status, he said.
"Fidelity is a powerful message when it is communicated effectively. It can penetrate all levels of the community and spur a change of attitude and behaviour," Mr Nthiga explained.
According to him and Mr Chialo who is also involved in the 'Sikia Kengele,' programme, this type of approach has worked in countries like Uganda. It recorded a significant reduction in HIV/Aids infection in recent times.
The PEPFAR results for Tanzania show that by the end of last year the programme reached 2.7 million people. The outreach HIV/Aids prevention programs promote Abstinence and being faithful to one's partner or partners for those married to more than one wife.
The campaigns have successfully been conducted Mbeya, Iringa, Morogoro, Mtwara, Lindi, Mara, Mwanza, Shinyanga, Tabora, Singida, Dodoma and Tanga regions.
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Having been launched in Dar es Salaam last week, the campaign will now move to Coast, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Iringa, Mbeya, Rukwa, Ruvuma and Mtwara regions.
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