HIV and AIDS Education Urged for Fishing Areas. Our Vision:

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1 Issue No. 217, February 4, Association of Journalists Against AIDS in Tanzania (AJAAT) P.O Box Tel: / / Bahari Motors Building, Kameroun Road Plot No. 43, Kijitonyama, Dar es Salaam Supported by TACAIDS/UNDAP O Infections O Deaths O Stigma By 2015 Guest of honor Acting Regional Administrative Secretary of Dodoma, Germana Orota in group photo with TACAIDS Directors, Regional Coordinator for TACAIDS (RCT), Regional Focal Person (RFP) and Regional AIDS Coordinator (RAC) after official launching of the dissemination workshop of the third National Multi-sectoral Strategic Framework (NMSF III), Dodoma. January, 2014 (SOURCE: TACAIDS Website). HIV and AIDS Education Urged for Fishing Areas FISHING communities around Lake Victoria in Mwanza Region continue to run the risk of being infected with HIV/Aids, unless preventive measures are jointly undertaken by concerned municipal authorities and other partners. Sengerema District Council Development Officer and regulator of infections, Mr Mkali Japhet, sounded the warning at a three-day training workshop for peer educators on HIV/Aids prevention organised by Fishers Union Organisation (FUO). A two-week survey done by the Our Vision: Daily News has revealed that commercial sex workers are very active in fishing areas, but HIV/Aids preventive measures are most non-existent. The magnitude of HIV transmission among fishing communities threatens development, as we know that councils should set aside funds for prevention education to peer educators and not leave everything to NGOs, said Mr Mkali. He added that the problem was The magnitude of HIV transmission among fishing communities threatens development, as we know that councils should set aside funds for prevention education to peer educators not only about disregard for the use of condom as a preventive measure in the district, but the major setback was experienced among members of the fishing communities. In this district we lack accountability among the entrusted district staff. The common tendency at the moment is that those who seem committed in their duties are hated and discouraged. As a result sensitive issues like community health education to prevent new HIV/Aids infections are not given the deserv- Continue on page 2 A recognized strong media association in and out the country that can bring about enhanced and effective HIV and AIDS media coverage and contribute to a reduction of the spread of HIV in Tanzania

2 2 Aeleza sababu za wenye VVU kunyanyapaliwa KUCHELEWA kutolewa kanuni za sheria ya kuzuia maambukizo ya Virusi vya Ukimwi, kumesababisha watu wanaoishi na VVU kuendelea kunyanyapaliwa na kutojua haki zao. Mwenyekiti wa shirika lisilokuwa la kiserikali linalojihusisha na masuala ya ushauri na familia (CA- FLO), Mariam Mlugu alisema licha ya kupitishwa na bunge mwaka 2008, watu wengi hawaifahamu sheria hiyo. Alikuwa akizungumza jana wakati wa mafunzo kuhusu sera ya afya, sheria na haki za watu wanaoishi na VVU. Mlugu alisema kuchelewa kutolewa kanuni za sheria hiyo, hakuwatendei haki watu wanaoishi na VVU kwa vile hali hiyo inasababisha wazidi kubaguliwa. Unyanyapaa ni mkubwa na watu wengi hawajui kama ni kosa na kutokana na kanuni kuchelewa kutoka, inakuwa vigumu mtu kuweza kumshtaki yule aliyemfanyia vitendo vya ubaguzi, alisema Mlugu. Mratibu wa mafunzo hayo, Emanuel Evarist alisema yana lengo la kuwajengea uwezo wanajamii waweze kuelewa vizuri sera ya afya, sheria na haki za watu wanaoishi na VVU. Kwa mujibu wa mratibu huyo, washiriki wa mafunzo hayo ni wajumbe na waratibu wa kamati za Ukimwi za mitaa kutoka kata za Buguruni na Vingunguti. Maambukizo ya VVU yameendelea kuongezeka, kwa sababu mbalimbali ikiwamo watu kutofahamu sera ya afya na sheria ya kuzuia na kupambana na ukimwi, alisema Evarist. Mkurugenzi wa Sheria wa Tume ya Kudhibiti Ukimwi Nchini (TACAIDS), Dk. Elizabeth Kaganda Unyanyapaa ni mkubwa na watu wengi hawajui kama ni kosa na kutokana na kanuni kuchelewa kutoka, inakuwa vigumu mtu kuweza kumshtaki yule aliyemfanyia vitendo vya ubaguzi alisema, kanuni hizo tayari zimetengenezwa na zimepelekwa kwa Mwanasheria Mkuu wa Serikali (AG), kwa sababu sheria zote lazima zipitie kwake. Chanzo: Mtanzania Fishing communities waiting to buy fish as fish trading is one of their main economic activities, but the business is not free from HIV risks! Education Urged for Fishing Areas from page 1 ing attention, he insisted. Justine Masasi, who is Lugata ward executive officer in Sengerema, accused the municipal authorities of sidelining small islands when it came to HIV/Aids prevention seminars. We are being told to keep silent and not to ask about feedback on previous meetings while we, as local leaders, should be assisted to educate the people in order to control the alarming HIV transmission rates in the district, said Mr Masasi. He added that although various institutions such as TACAIDS went to the district headquarters for short-term prevention seminars, additional time and resources should be set aside to involve more peer educators for house-to-house visits, just as was the case during the population census exercise. The clinical officer at Kome Island Health Centre, Mr Javan Ibrahim, urged the government to give priority to community health education by involving all necessary partners. I have 48 people in my clinic who are infected with HIV. But the situation is likely to get worse because no deliberate efforts are being taken by the authorities. Even the supply of ARVs has been so unreliable that for the last three months no stocks have been received, said Mr Javan. Source: Daily News ARVs do not stop HIV transmission While the country and the world at large are still grappling with HIV/AIDS, there is a growing misconception that the use of Anti Retroviral (ARVs) drugs stops transmission of the deadly virus. We believe if left unchecked, this mistaken belief may jeopardise the success recorded so far in the combat against HIV/ AIDS. Although some scientific studies show ARVs reduce the chances of passing over the virus to others, the proof is not 100 per cent. The drugs alleged ability for a sustained halt of AIDS progression is, therefore, still highly questionable. It should be understood that anti-retrovirals are not a cure. The drugs only work to slow down the progression of the disease so that an HIV positive person can live longer without the onset of AIDS and other opportunistic infections and diseases. According to health experts, ARVs control the replication process of the virus, which attacks human s immune system. In other words the drugs are capable of reducing viral load in the bloodstream thus give the immune system a chance to recover... and as the viral load goes down, the number of CD4 cells increases as a result the viral load can become undetectable. However, undetectable does not mean the virus has gone. According to medical experts that only means that the amount of virus in the blood of an HIV positive Continue on pg4

3 3 South African HIV/Aids Trial Scoops USAID Award The Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) 004 Tenofovir gel trial was recently announced as the winner of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Science and Technology Pioneers Prize. The prize, which is being inaugurated this year, recognises excellence in the use of science and technology to solve development challenges. It also comes with a prize award of R2.2 million. The CAPRISA 004 Tenofovir gel trial, conducted in KwaZulu-Natal, was funded by USAID and the South African Department of Science and Technology, and conducted by a group of South African and US researchers. It provided proof of concept that an antiretroviral gel used before and after sex can protect women against HIV. The microbicide gel, containing 1% Tenofovir, an antiretroviral usually used for treatment, was 39% effective in preventing HIV infection in women. It also had the benefit of 51% USAID Director, Dr. Rajiv Shah Research on the gel shows how fruitful international partnerships between US and South African scientists can be, in this case addressing one of the biggest challenges facing our country - the AIDS epidemic effectiveness in preventing genital herpes infections. These protective effects were even higher for those women who used the gel most of the time. Tenofovir works by preventing HIV from growing inside human cells. Taken in pill form, it is a common component of various threedrug cocktails that are used to treat HIV infections. The recent statement by Minister of Science and Technology Derek commended the outstanding work CAPRISA has done in the quest to find an affordable and effective HIV and AIDS vaccine. Research on the gel shows how fruitful international partnerships between US and South African scientists can be, in this case addressing one of the biggest challenges facing our country - the AIDS epidemic. Over the past decade, CAPRISA has played an instrumental role in HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment research, making some groundbreaking discoveries, said the minister. David Stanton, Director of USAID s Office of HIV/AIDS said the CAPRISA 004 trial was a key milestone in an ongoing journey towards an approved microbicide product for women, putting us one step closer to an AIDS-free generation. CAPRISA will receive R2.2 million in prize money, which Quarraisha Abdool Karim, Associate Director of CAPRISA and leader of the research team for this trial, said they would use on research to understand why and how HIV spreads so rapidly in young women in South Africa. The team is honoured and humbled by this recognition, he said. Source: SA news Isidingo star Lesego Motsepe dies The African National Congress has learnt with shock and sadness of the passing on of Lesego Motsepe earlier last week. Lesego, known to many as Lettie Matabane for her role on Isidingo between , was a courageous young woman with whom many of us were priviledged to interact with in her many different and courageous guises. Lesego was an active contributor in the ANC s Forum on the Creative Industry, making marked and valuable contributions on the work required to better organise the sector. She was also a unrelenting crusader in the fight against HIV and AIDs. It was as recently as the 5th December 2013, where she participated in a Live Twitter Interview hosted by the ANC, openly discussing coping with the disease and empowering many people, young and old, with the story of her courage. Her last words during our social media live chat was When you choose to live, you empower yourself, no matter what the challenges may be when living with any disease. We hope her determination and her life story will continue to strengthen and comfort all those whose lives have been touched by this daughter of the soil. The African National Congress sends its condolences to Lesego Motsepe s family, friends and the creative sector as a whole. South Africa is much poorer for having lost such a bright star which shone amongst us. Said Jackson Mthembu, National Spokesperson for the African National Congress. A statement released on behalf of Motsepe s family said she was found dead by her brother Moemise South African actress and singer, Lesego Motsepe who recently passed away Motsepe at about 11am. In 2011, Motsepe publicly announced her HIV status on World Aids Day in a bid to help fight the stigma around people living with the disease. She conducted several workshops and talks on the

4 4 Some of the Antiretroviral drugs which are used to reduce viral load in the bloodstream, giving the immune system a chance to recover. ARVs do not stop HIV transmission from page 2 person is too small to be measured. However, chances for such a person to infect others are still big. That s why people on ARVs need to take the drugs every day for the rest of their lives. One can t miss any tablets because the virus can quickly get out of control, and become resistant to treatment. Dr Tumaini Nagu of the Muhimbili University for IN the newly released and Third Tanzania HIV and Malaria Indicator Survey (THMIS III) HIV prevalence data were obtained from blood samples voluntarily provided by a total of 20,811 women and men interviewed. Of the eligible women and men age 15-49, 90% of women and 79% of men provided specimens for HIV testing. Overall, 5.1% of Tanzanians age are HIV-positive. HIV prevalence is higher among women (6.2%) than among men (3.8%). HIV prevalence is higher in urban areas for both women and men than in rural areas. A comparison of the THMIS and THMIS HIV prevalence estimates indicate that HIV prevalence has declined slightly from 5.7% to 5.1% among adults Health and Allied Sciences (MU- HAS) was recently quoted as saying that ARVs usage was for life and underscored the need to get the people informed, to clear up the misconception. The most important thing is for people on ARVs to understand that taking the drugs will not cure their infection but may allow them to stay healthy for a long time. It is therefore their moral age Similarly, HIV prevalence has declined among women, from 6.6% to 6.2%, and among men, from 4.6% to 3.8%. In Mainland Tanzania, HIV prevalence among women and men age has decreased from 7.0% in the THIS to 5.3% in the THMIS. The decline in total HIV prevalence between and is statistically significant. Additionally, the decline is significant among men (6.3% versus 3.9%). Drivers of the epidemic 1. Promiscuous sexual behaviour 2. Intergerational sex 3. Concurrent sexual partners 4. Presence of other sexually transmitted infections such as herpes simplex x 2 virus. 5. Inadequate comprehensive duty to protect those who are not infected. Therefore, people, whether on ARVs on not, must always take precautions, especially because the disease has no cure so far. That means once one gets the virus, it is there to stay. Prevention, thus, remains the only cure... and the only way through which people can outsmart the deadly virus. Source: Daily News HIV FACTS AND STATISTICS IN TANZANIA knowledge of HIV transmission Contextual factors shaping the epidemic in the country 1. Poverty and transactional sex with increasing numbers of commercial sex workers 2. Men s irresponsible sexual behaviour due to cultural patterns of virility 3. Social, economic and political gender inequalities including violence against women 4. Substance abuse such as alcohol consumption 5. Local cultural practices e.g. widow cleansing Mobility in all its forms which leads to separation of spouses and increased establishment of temporary sexual relationships SOURCE: THMIS Weekly quotable quotes!! What is cardinal in HIV/AIDS control is a youth crusade that would emphasize that it takes one who makes a bed to use it and in this regard the responsibility of the spread of AIDS was everyone s, Late South African actress and singer, Lesego Motsepe VICHOCHEO VYA MAAMBUKIZI Majumba ya video Picha chafu za ngono Kipato kidogo kwa wanafamilia kinachopelekea biashara ya ngono Unywaji wa pombe na vileo vingine Kutetereka kwa ndoa Mila Potofu Tabia ya kufunga ndoa bila kupima SOURCE: Advocacy and Communication Department, TACAIDS Editorial Board Chairman Adolph S. Kivamwo Consulting Editor: Charles M. Kayoka Editor Perege Gumbo Copy Editor: George Nyembela Type-setting Irene Kimambo Journalist & FP specialist Benedict Sichalwe ANNOUNCEMENT AJAAT has vast skills in producing newsletters for individual organizations. Those interested can feel free to contact us for service- Editor

5 Mother and Daughter - Alive, Productive and Healthy On Antiretrovirals 5 Nandipha Madolo, from Khayelitsha s Litha Park, has experienced much in her life, with HIV playing a major part. She watched her brother die from meningitis due to HIV. Her HIV-positive husband abused her. Her youngest daughter contracted HIV, and Madolo found out that she too was HIV-positive. But today Madolo has a healthy daughter, a steady job, and she is a public speaker. Madolo found out she was HIV positive in 1999 when she took her ill daughter to the doctor. My child was about eight or nine months old when she started getting sick. She had pneumonia and after sometime was also diagnosed with TB. When she first got sick, I took her to the Site B clinic, and I was referred to Red Cross Children s Hospital where she went into ICU. We were then taken to Somerset Hospital where I asked the doctor to test my child. The doctor asked me what kind of test, and I said any test including HIV. As I was sitting in the waiting room with other mothers who had brought their children in, the doctor called me and said the results were ready. In front of everybody, the doctor told me that my child was HIV positive. Because I didn t really understand what being HIV meant at the time, I thought my child being positive meant she was okay, so I smiled. Then the doctor said, Mrs Madolo, I don t think you understand, your daughter has AIDS. Being HIV positing does not mean an end to life, but with ARVs, life could proceed as normal as before! Madolo is on antiretrovirals (ARVs) together with her daughter who is now a healthy 15- year-old. Madolo had suspected something because of her husband s affairs. When she told her husband about herself and her daughter s HIV status, he was not surprised. She later found out, before he died in 2005, that he had known he was HIV-positive since Since finding out about her HIV status, Madolo told herself that she would keep up her positive attitude for the sake of her children. She joined a support group and this is where she found the confidence to become a public speaker and educate people about the virus. She only disclosed her status to her family after five years. I take five pills a day, two in the morning and three in the evening. My daughter takes four. My CD4 count is standing at 1004 and the virus is undetectable in my body. Even now, when I disclose my status, it still raises eyebrows and you can see from the reaction of some people that if they had their way, they would avoid any contact with me. But being well informed of what my rights are when it comes to HIV, I feel at ease a little. I made it my business to read a lot about our constitution when it comes to human rights and HIV/AIDS, said Madolo. Source: Allafrica.com Country s Journey Towards Zero New HIV Infections Falters In early January 2008, during the violence that rocked Kenya after disputed general elections, a man knocked at Lucia Wakonyo s gate at Mathare Valley, in the sprawling Mathare slum. He was calling out for my neighbour and I told him my neighbour was not in. He pleaded to give him refuge, Wakonyo told IPS. When Wakonyo opened the gate, he threw me to the ground and raped me, she said. Two months later, she discovered she was pregnant and infected with HIV. Wakonyo never attended an antenatal clinic and delivered an HIV positive baby with a traditional birth attendant. Her next pregnancy was very different. In 2012, Wakonyo delivered an HIV negative baby, after attending antenatal care and being put on prevention of mother-to-child transmission treatment (PMTCT). Wakonyo and her baby benefitted from Kenya s successful drive to extend PMTCT, which nearly halved new infections among children between 2009 and But, worryingly, the drive is losing impetus. PMTCT coverage fell by 20 percent in , says the Progress Report 2013 of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/ AIDS (UNAIDS). Five out of 10 pregnant women living with HIV do not receive antiretroviral medicines to prevent mother-to-child transmission, Zenawit Melesse, UNAIDS regional communications adviser said. Melesse explained that this figure excludes the 11 percent of HIV positive pregnant women on a regimen of a single dose of Nevirapine, which is not as effective as combination drug therapies. The result is an estimated 13,000 children newly infected with HIV in Kenya s seroprevalence rate is six percent and in moderate decline, according to UNAIDS. Experts agree on the main reason behind the reduction in PMTCP Continue from pg 5

6 6 HIvi ndivyo mijimama inavyoingiza waosha kucha, miguu katika hatari ya kuambukizwa VVU Utengenezaji wa kucha na uoshaji miguu ni biashara inayokuwa kwa kasi hasa maeneo ya mijini ambapo wanawake wengi wanahusudu na kujihusisha na masuala ya urembo. Biashara hii inazidi kukua huku pia huduma zinazotolewa zikizidi kuongezeka kila kukicha, ambapo mara nyingi wanaotengeneza kucha, hujihusisha na usuguaji wa miguu, uchoraji wa tattoo ukandaji wa mwili (massage)na nyingine zinazofana na hizo. Kazi hii imetokea kuwa chanzo kimojawapo cha mapato na ajira mpya kwa vijana wengi hasa wa kiume, wenye umri wa miaka 17 hadi 35. Hata hivyo, uchuguzi uliofanywa na gazeti hili hasa jijini Dar es Salaam, umegundua kuwa vijana wengi wanaofanya biashara hii huishia kufanya ngono na wateja wao hasa wanawake wenye umri mkubwa na wa kati (Mijimama), ambao wamewahi kuwahudumia zaidi ya mara moja, hivyo kutumbukia katika hatari ya kuambukizwa magonjwa ya zinaa na Virusi Vya Ukimwi(VVU). Kwa mujibu wa takwimu za Ukimwi nchini, vijana wengi walio kwenye umri kati ya miaka 17 hadi 35 ndilo kundi linalotajwa kuwa katika hatari kubwa ya kupata maambukizi ya VVU. Hatari hiyo inatokana na mazingira hatarishi wanayokutana nayo vijana hao wanapofanya shughuli zao na kufanya vitendo hivyo kwa makusudi, wakati mwingine kwa kushawishiwa. Uchunguzi unaonyesha kuwa wakati wa ufanyaji wa shughuli hiyo, hutokea baadhi ya wanawake wakaoshwa au kusuguliwa sehemu za miguu zinazokaribia maeneo ya mapaja, hivyo kuamsha hisia kati ya mtoa huduma na mpokea huduma. Hatua hiyo inatajwa kuwasababashia baadhi yao kufanya ngono ambayo mara nyingi siyo salama, wanapotoa huduma katika maeneo tulivu ikiwamo saluni maalumu na nyumbani kwa wateja. Mmoja wa wafanyabiashara hiyo katika Soko la Mwenge Hamis Shaban(19) (siyo jina halisi) anasema kuwa kuna wakati wamekuwa wakiingizwa katika mtego na wateja Yule sista amenifanyia vituko muda mrefu, nikaona asije kunitangazia vibaya bure kwamba mimi siyo mwanaume kamili; hivyo kumwonyesha kuwa nimekamilika, nikalazimika kufanya, ingawa sasa hivi unavyoniuliza naanza kupata wasiwasi. wao, ambayo huwasababishia kufanya ngono. Anasema kuwa hali hiyo hutokea mara nyingi hasa mteja anapotaka kwenda kuhudumiwa nyumbani kwake, ambapo hukuta tayari wameandaa mazingira, ambayo mwisho wake huishia katika hatua hiyo. Mimi mwenyewe imenitokea siku chache zilizopita; kuna binti fulani amekuwa mteja wangu kwa muda mrefu, amekuwa akinifanyia vituko vya hapa na pale. Nilikuwa sijali, ila majuzi akaniambia niende kwake nikamchore tattoo, anasema Shaban na kuongeza: Eneo alilotaka nimchore ndilo lilianza kunipa wasiwasi, lakini kwa sababu ya pesa nikapiga moyo konde. Akavua blauzi yake na kutaka nimchore kwenye titi; nilijaribu kutimiza wajibu wangu, lakini mambo ambayo alikuwa akifanya, yalinisababishia uzalendo kunishinda, hatimaye tukajikuta tukifanya ngono. Shaban anakiri alifanya tendo hilo bila kutumia kinga akiamini kuwa msichana huyo ni mbichi na hana uwezekano wa kuwa na VVU. Anafafanua kuwa sababu nyingine iliyosababisha kufanya ngono ilikuwa kutaka kujenga heshima kwa mteja wake huyo, ili amwone kuwa ni mwanaume aliyekamilika. Yule sista amenifanyia vituko muda mrefu, nikaona asije kunitangazia vibaya bure kwamba mimi siyo mwanaume kamili; hivyo kumwonyesha kuwa nimekamilika, nikalazimika kufanya, ingawa sasa hivi unavyoniuliza naanza kupata wasiwasi. Mahamod Abdalah anayefanya biashara hiyo eneo la Makumbusho, naye anakiri kuwepo na changamoto mbalimbali, ambazo huwafanya wengi wao kuingia kwenye mitego na kufanya kazi ya kuwafurahisha wake za watu. Hiyo changamoto kweli ipo, inahitaji moyo wa ziada kukabiliana nayo. Wanakuja wanawake wa haja, utakuta anakufunilia maungo, anataka umsugue; yaani hatari tupu, sasa kama huna ujasiri, lazima utaingia kwenye mtego. Continue from pg 6

7 Country s Journey Towards Zero New HIV Infections Falters from page 5 - disruptions in the health services. In December 2011, doctors went on strike to pressure the government to put more money into health care. In March 2012, nurses staged a twoweek long strike, and five months later doctors again went on strike for nearly three weeks. More strikes took place in During the strikes, Wakonyo resorted to self-medication, taking any antiretrovirals that she could find as well as traditional medicines, although aware this could lead to resistance to ARVs. Indeed, PMTCT uptake may have reduced but only during the strikes of doctors and nurses, as well as due to test kits stockouts, said Dr. Simon Mueke, acting senior director of Medical Services at the Ministry of Health. But overall, PMTCT uptake has been on the rise. George Omondi, from the local advocacy group Women Fighting AIDS in Kenya (WOFAK), agrees. The PMTCT programme has been so successful that the country has shifted from P to E. We no longer talk about prevention of mother to child transmission but elimination - emtct, he told IPS. Moving forward UNAIDS points out that Kenya is taking steps to strengthen PMTCT, such as providing free maternity services, scaling up its Mentor Mother programme nationwide and boosting support for exclusive breastfeeding among HIV positive nursing mothers. Reproductive health expert Dr. Joachim Osur observes that you cannot improve PMTCT coverage if maternal health services are not improved. Nationwide, only about 41 percent of women deliver in hospital. In Nyanza and Western provinces, he added, only a quarter of women deliver under the care of trained health attendants. When a woman delivers at home, she cannot access the full PMTCT treatment, he explained. Another problem is getting all pregnant women tested for HIV. Out of the estimated 1.5 million pregnancies that occur every year in Kenya, between 87,000 and 100,000 test HIV positive Not every woman at antenatal care accepts to be tested for HIV. The reasons for avoiding the HIV test are multiple but stigma remains key, Osur said. Unfortunately, health workers cannot force the test on Waosha kucha, miguu katika hatari ya kuambukizwa VVU Pamoja na kuingizwa kwenye vishawishi hivyo kuna muda vijana hao hujikuta katika wakati mgumu, hasa wanapofanya shughuli hiyo nyumbani na kukutwa na waume wa wateja wao. Si wanaume wote wanaelewa kama hii ni kazi, mwingine akikukuta nyumbani kwake unamsugua mkewe, unaweza kuambulia kichapo na mambo kama hayo. Hizo ni miongoni mwa changamoto tunazokutana nazo, anasema Abdalah. Kauli ya TACAIDS Mkurugenzi wa Uraghabishi na Habari wa Tume ya Taifa ya Kuthibiti Maambukizi ya Ukimwi (TACAIDS), Jummane Issango anakiri kuwa hali hiyo ni changamoto dhidi ya mapambano ya ugonjwa huo unaogharimu maisha ya vijana wengi nchini. Anasema kuwa kutokana na hali hiyo kwa mwaka huu wa fedha, TACAIDS imejiwekea mkakati wa kutoa elimu kwa makundi ya vijana, ambao shughuli zao zinawaweka katika hatari ya kupata maambukizi ya Ukimwi. Kuna fursa nyingi za ajira kwa vijana, ambazo The waiver of maternity fees in all public hospitals since June [2013] will have a positive effect on maternal health in general, he said. But there is need for community awareness around HIV zimekuwa zikiibuka kila kukicha, lakini kwa bahati mbaya na kasi ya maambukizi ya Ukimwi inanyemelea katika fursa hizo, ndiyo maana mwaka huu tunakuja na mkakati wa elimu kwa vijana, alisema. Issango aliongeza: Mpango huu utahusisha vijana walio shuleni na walio nje ya shule kama vile wasichana wanaojiuza, wahudumu wa bar na vijana wanaojihusisha na masuala ya urembo kama hayo kutengeneza kucha, kukanda mwili na mengineyo. Anasema kuwa mkakati huo utalenga kutoa hamasa kwa vijana wapende kujua hali zao kiafya na kujitoa katika hatari ya kupata maambukizi na kupima VVU kwa hiari. Mtaalamu wa Afya, Samuel Shitta anasema kuwa hali hiyo kwa kiasi kikubwa inasababishwa na masuala ya kisaikolojia, pamoja na hisia za kimapenzi ambazo huwashika kwa haraka zaidi wanaume. Anasema kuwa kisaikolojia, wanaume hushikwa na hisia za mapenzi kwa haraka zaidi kuliko wanawake, hivyo kitendo cha kuchezea 7 women, it is their right to accept or refuse. Some pregnant women visit the clinic only once. They get tested for HIV but they do not go back for the results, said Osur. In spite of these challenges, WOFAK s Omondi remains optimistic that a reduction of HIV transmission among breastfeeding mothers to less than five percent and a 90 percent reduction in mother to child HIV transmission rates by 2015 is a realistic goal. The waiver of maternity fees in all public hospitals since June [2013] will have a positive effect on maternal health in general, he said. But there is need for community awareness around HIV. Many women stay away from PMTCT services for fear of stigmatisation. AIDS experts remain concerned over the continued unrest in the health sector and have urged the government and health professionals to settle outstanding issues over remuneration, and thus ensure that doctors and nurses are at hand when needed and that fewer babies are born with the virus. Source: allafrica.com au kusugua mwili wa mwanamke kinaweza kumsababishia akajikuta akifanya ngono bila kutarajia. Wapo ambao inawatokea kisaikolojia, lakini vilevile kuna kundi lingine ambalo hufanya kwa makusudi kwa lengo la kujiingizia kipato, wakiamini kuwa kufanya hivyo kunaweza kuwasaidia kupata kipato zaidi, anasema Shitta. Madhara mengine Pamoja na madhara hayo, Shitta anafafanua kuwa kazi hiyo huchangia kwa kiasi kikubwa pia kuwaweka vijana katika hatari ya kupata maradhi ya ngozi hasa fangasi kutokana na wengi wao kutotumia vifaa vya kujikinga. Anataja pia hatari ya kupata maradhi ya uti wa mgongo, kutokana na kundi hilo kuinama kwa muda mrefu linapokuwa kazini. Kufanya shughuli hiyo kwa muda mrefu kunaweza kumfanya mtu akavunja pingili za mgongo hivyo kupata maradhi ya mgongo, hususani wakiwa uzeeni, anasema Dk Shitta. SOURCE: MWANANCHI