AfricaPress-Tanzania: TANZANIA Commission for Aids (TACAIDS) says men who live with HIV/AIDS die faster than women because of failure to begin using antiretroviral drugs early.
Speaking here during a meeting with the Parliamentary Committee on HIV/AIDS and Drugs, TACAIDS Executive Director Dr Leonard Maboko said that even as men die in a huge number, statistics show that new infections were increasingly among women compared to men.
“When it comes to HIV testing, many men have been becoming reluctant, and even when we do make follow ups on those who do voluntary testing, many of them are delaying in beginning dosage,’’ he said.
Dr Maboko told parliamentarians that the number of deaths in men was increasing because they do not begin using ARVs on the required time.
“And those who begin using drugs do not follow appropriate doctors’ advice, but women have always been voluntarily testing, beginning dosage on time, as well as considering advice from physicians, that is why many of them live longer,’’ he noted.
Expounding further, Dr Maboko said the 2019 statistics show that people living with HIV were 1.7 countrywide, whereas men were 628,830 while women were 983, 471.
He, however, said deaths caused by the disease in men were 12,225, compared to 9,304 in women.
“New HIV infections in 2019 were 77,084, whereas women were 39,614 and men were 28,870 and children under five years were 8,600,’’ he said.
Dr Maboko added that some of the steps taken to reduce HIV infection rate was strengthening awareness campaigns on testing and immediate use of drugs.
Speaking during a meeting, Maswa Member of Parliament Stanslaus Nyongo said the report from TACAIDS was shocking, insisting that it was high time to intensify campaigns to have men test their HIV status, as well as immediately beginning to take the dosage.
When opening the meeting, Minister of State, in the Prime Minister’s Office, responsible for Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment, Youth and the Disabled, Ms Jenista Mhagama said that medical services to people living with HIV had improved, adding that as of December 2019, about 1.2 million people were getting ARVs.
