AfricaPress-Tanzania: TANZANIA has registered an encouraging decline rate in AIDS-related deaths, thanks to improved health services and use of antiretroviral drugs, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has said.
According to statistics, the rate of HIV-related deaths in the country fell by nearly 75 per cent in the last two decades.
Premier Majaliwa said in Moshi that last year, 2019, the country recorded 21,529 deaths, down from 85,000 AIDS-related deaths back in 2001.
Mr Majaliwa was speaking at the national commemoration of World AIDS Day themed ‘Global Solidarity, Resilient Services’ at Mandela grounds.
Tanzania has also witnessed a slump in new HIV infections by nearly half, from 130,000 to 68,484 during that period.
“This achievement is a result of improved medical services, including use of ARVs and therapeutic interventions, such as medical circumcision of men as well as preventing mother-tochild transmission,” the Prime Minister said.
The Premier, however, warned the war is far from being won, and called upon all stakeholders in the fight against HIV/ AIDS to increase efforts in getting rid of it.
Tanzania has achieved a lot in reaching the ‘90-90-90’ targets, aiming to bring HIV testing and treatment to the vast majority of people living with HIV by the end of this year, and to reduce the amount of HIV in their bodies to undetectable levels.
Internationally, the goals have been that by 2020, 90 per cent of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status; 90 per cent of all people with diagnosed HIV infections receive sustained antiretroviral therapy, and 90 percent of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression.
The PM called upon stakeholders to sensitise people to test to know their status and issued a 30-day ultimatum for every region to send its HIV-AIDS awareness raising report to the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS).
He issued a directive to the TACAIDS, the Ministry of Health and all stakeholders in controlling HIV/AIDS to plan
good strategies on how to know the best way to work on the malady at low cost but with big results.
With the rate of infection still high among the younger generation, the Prime Minister called upon the youth to value their lives and protect themselves from the killer disease.
“For those who live with HIV, keep using ARVs correctly to bolster your health. Youths are a group that is vulnerable to HIV/ AIDS in the country. Statistics show that 40 per cent of new infections are in this group, out of which 80 per cent are girls,” said the PM.
Upon his arrival at Mandela Grounds, Mr Majaliwa toured some exhibition booths and witnessed several services in education, awareness rising and testing mobilisation in HIV/AIDS and other diseases.
Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner (RC), Ms Anna Mghwira said that new infection in the region has gone down further, from 7.3 per cent in 2004 to 2.6 per cent in 2017.
“That is below the average nation infection that stands at 4.8 per cent. But even with that fact it does not mean that we are safe, so we have to join forces so as to achieve the target of zero infections come 2030,” she said.
The RC added that the region faces challenges in providing medical and training services to some of the infected individuals who do not adhere to what they are directed to.
The US Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Donald Wright commended the Tanzania government for its efforts in fighting HIV/AIDS and pledged more cooperation from his government.
Earlier on, Chairperson of the National Council of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NACOPHA), Ms Leticia Maurice,
asked the government, civil organisations, religious institutions and the media to go on raising awareness, so as to have people change their habits, the youth, parents and guardians have the fear of God so as to avoid HIV.
