Arusha — The African Medical and Research Foundation's (AMREF) has embarked on 'Angaza Zaidi' programme, aimed at addressing HIV/AIDS in the country.

Launching the programme in Dar es Salaam, President Jakaya Kikwete reiterated the need for the people to volunteer for HIV counselling and testing, to be able to know their status and control their lives.

President Kikwete said that knowing the health status of majority of the people would also enable the government and other HIV/AIDS relief partners to take measures to control and prevent new infections in the societies.

According to the 2007/08 national HIV/AIDS survey, 5.7 per cent of people aged between 15 and 49 were HIV-positive, compared to 7 per cent reported in 2003/04.

The president hailed people who volunteered for the exercise, saying Tanzania was one of the countries in the world with high records of HIV testing. He said that over 5 million people have tested for HIV since the launch of the exercise in 2007. He, however, said that the figure was far from the 2015 target, calling on more volunteers including those who tested once to go for second and third tests as recommended by experts, the Daily News Reports.

Earlier, Health and Social Welfare Minister, Prof David Mwakyusa, said that 37 per cent of women and 27 per cent of men in the country have undergone HIV counselling and testing. More than two million people are estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS in the country.

According to the minister, the achievement recorded was a result of President Kikwete's zeal of showing the example by testing himself when he launched the HIV counselling and testing campaign on July 14 in 2007, under a Kiswahili slogan 'Tanzania Bila UKIMWI Inawezekana.' Prof Mwakyusa said that the objectives of 'Angaza Zaidi' programme was to establish a responsive health system and promote the participation of local communities in HIV/AIDS campaigns.

Prof Mwakyusa told the president that the programme would also be extended to remote areas, through outreach mobile HIV testing and counselling. The programme is being implemented by AMREF in collaboration