DODOMA: AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Tanzania has reaffirmed its commitment to using economic empowerment strategies for groups at risk of HIV infection as part of its efforts to reduce new infections and promote self-reliance.
Speaking in Dodoma recently, AHF Prevention Programme Coordinator Dr Maige Charles said some people find themselves in vulnerable situations due to economic challenges, including lack of income and access to basic necessities such as food.
He said that through empowerment programmes, including Girls Act and Isuto Men, AHF reaches out to these groups in collaboration with peers who understand their circumstances and the challenges they face, helping them acquire skills that enable them to generate income.
According to Dr Maige, beneficiaries are brought together at resource centres, where they are given the opportunity to choose the skills they wish to learn based on their needs and goals. Some choose to learn hairdressing, soap-making or barbering to enable them to become self-employed.
He said the centres work with trainers from the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA), who provide training using the equipment available at the centres. After completing their training, graduates engage in income-generating activities, while another group is given the opportunity to benefit from the programme.
On HIV prevention, Dr Maige said AHF supports the provision of condoms, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to expand access to HIV prevention services.
He added that the organisation works with the Government to strengthen treatment services by supporting the availability of medical equipment, laboratory services, HIV testing and services at Care and Treatment Clinics (CTCs) for people living with HIV. It also supports access to medicines used to treat opportunistic infections.
Dr Maige further said AHF is making efforts to reach people with limited access to healthcare services, particularly men and those living in remote areas, mining communities and fishing areas.
He explained that some of these groups face difficulties accessing hospitals due to transport costs, time constraints and demanding work schedules. As a result, healthcare workers have to reach them where they are, sometimes at night, using motorcycles to deliver services.
According to The Tanzania HIV Impact Survey 2022-2023 (THIS 2022-2023), the annual incidence of HIV among adults (aged 15 years and older) in Tanzania was 0.18 percent, which corresponds to approximately 60,000 new cases of HIV per year among adults.
HIV incidence was 0.24 percent among women and 0.11 percent among men. Prevalence of HIV among adults in Tanzania was 4.4 percent, which corresponds to approximately 1,548,000 adults living with HIV.
HIV prevalence was higher among women (5.6 percent) than among men (3.0 percent). Prevalence of VLS among adults living with HIV in Tanzania, regardless of their knowledge of HIV status or use of antiretroviral therapy (ART), was 78.0 percent. VLS prevalence was higher among women (80.9 percent) than among men (72.2 percent).