PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa on Tuesday launched an ambitious nationwide campaign which engages religious leaders as front-runners in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
The campaign christened “Hebu Tuyajenge Tufike 95-95-95” (Let’s commit to attain 95-95-95), a brainchild of the national assembly and the national council of people living with HIV and AIDS, seeks among other things to end stigma and places more focus on best preventive approaches to fight the epidemic.
“I urge all the religious leaders to use their associations and powers to help end stigma especially among the children,” the premier urged while guaranteeing government’s support in the cause.
“The government is committed to ensuring it sets a supporting environment to ensuring all programmes seeking to end HIV and AIDS become successful,” he assured.
Supported by PEPFAR and USAID, the campaign wants 95 per cent of all people living with HIV know their status and that 95 per cent of all people diagnosed with HIV infection receive sustained antiretroviral therapy.
It also targets to ensure that 95 per cent of all those receiving ARV therapy have viral suppression by end of 2030.
The premier, henceforth, said each and every individual must avoid the use of the word ‘affected’ but use ‘living with’ to avoid stigmatising those living with the virus.
Mr Majaliwa, who had initially launched two other similar campaigns, noted that men were taking a backseat in testing their health, purely relying on the result presented by their partners.
The global target suggests that by 2020, at least 90 per cent of all people with HIV infection receive sustained antiretroviral therapy. It also targets that 90 per cent of all those receiving ARV therapy have viral suppression.
National Assembly Speaker Job Ndugai said he has appeared before the parliamentary committee three times to learn on the reason behind nominating some parliamentarians to form the HIV and AIDS committee.
“I was moved to dissolve the committee and formed a new committee that has delivered beyond imagination…this committee is the best among other committees,” he said.
The speaker said stigma is beyond the community walls, affected far deeper into the lawmaking body.
HIV/AIDs new infections had declined from 100,000 cases in 2015 to 72,000 annually, according to the minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment, Youth and the Disabled, Mr Jenista Mhagama.
According to the minister, 40 per cent of the new infections are the youth of which 80 per cent are female. She added youths were the largest population making 56 per cent of the workforce in the country.
She said the campaign launched will help protect the youngsters who are increasingly facing stigma emphasizing her ministry would adopt policy framework that seek to end stigma.
At the meeting here on Tuesday that saw religious leaders ink a memorandum of understanding on effective implementation of the campaign, the leaders agreed on communicating and cooperating with other leaders to fight stigma.
The leaders who signed the agreement include Rev Marc Malekana, Bishop Peter Konki, Bishop Gervas Nyaisonga, Bishop Aniekisha Cheyo and Chief Sheikh Abubakar Zuberi.
Deputy Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children Dr Faustine Ndugulile said stigma had been a huge challenge towards ending HIV/ AIDS in the communities.
The deputy minister explained that stigma slows people from seeking medical care, to test, use ARVs and participate in social-economic activities.
“Stigma is a ghost claiming lives of many people more than the virus,” noted Chairperson of the National Council of People living with HIV and AIDS (NACOPHA) Ms Leticia Morris.
She said despite counseling, people affected by the epidemic need care to accept their new condition.
According to the chairperson, children affected are worst hit being denied social services including education and health.
“The girl child is further affected by gender based violence,” she added.
Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) representative Mr Jumanne Sanga expressed the commission’s commitment towards enhancing national policy on AIDS in a view of fighting the deadly virus.
He assured that the coordination of the new 95-95-95 goal will be sustained to wrestle the epidemic.
At least 1.2 million people in Tanzania are on ARVs, and NACOPHA Director General Mr Deo says people living with HIV and AIDS have experienced a lot and want a dialogue with stakeholders to especially cut down stigma.
