Huge milestone in fight against HIV/AIDS

DEUS NGOWI in Moshi

THE fight against new HIV infections has begun yielding positive results in Kilimanjaro and Arusha regions, as youth now have voluntarily started engaging in activities aimed at warding-off the malady, thanks to Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF).

Youth and children with HIV/Aids in the two regions have now volunteered to form clubs aimed at sensitising their colleagues on the importance of sticking to doctors’ prescriptions and doing away with stigma.

HIV/AIDS Coordinators and managers at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) and Kibosho District Designated Hospital (KDDH), said recently that the funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), significantly changed lives of adolescents and youth to the better.

KCMC Executive Director, Dr Giliard Masenga, said that the hospital and clients have benefited from the support extended by EGPAF. Care and Treatment Centre (CTC) Coordinator at KCMC, Ms Zawadieli Hillu said KCMC received USAID support through EGPAF with an important Child Centred Family Care Facility (CCFCF), that takes care of infants until two years old before being transferred to ‘Under-5’ clinic.

She said some 291 children from 258 families benefitted from the facility, adding that since 2007 the referral hospital was availed with adolescent clinic that brings together clients on every first Saturday of the month.

Currently, she said, there are 176 adolescents on CTC and are treated differently in two groups; those from 12 to 17 years and the 18+, getting psychosocial support, starting with partial disclosure ending up with total disclosure.

KDDH CTC Coordinator, Dr Mary Minja said to date there are 711 clients being cared at the facility, that was constructed by EGPAF through USAID funding.

Clients attend sessions where they are provided with education, individual counselling, psychosocial support, nutritional assessment, laboratory investigations for issues related to CD4 count and social activities skills.

They were speaking during an event graced by the touring US-based AIDS Ambassador, Mr Jake Glaser (32) whose battle with HIV started four years before he was born, as his mother, the late Elizabeth Glaser gave birth to his older sister, the late Ariel in 1981 in California. During birth, she lost a lot of blood and needed blood transfusion when HIV tests did not exist.

From that transfusion she contracted HIV and three years later in 1984, Jack was born and has since lived with the disease. Speaking to children and youth at KCMC and KDDH, Jack said he was strong, proud, courageous, radical, disruptive and most of all just like all others.

“Even though we live in different parts of the world, we are connected. Connected as human beings, connected as a generation and connected by our drive to end HIV and AIDS in our lifetime.

“I know how hard it can be to live with HIV, to lose those we love and to accept that HIV is part of who we are. I also know that living with HIV can make us grow, educate, inspire and live a life of true value as leaders of our generation and all that follow us,” he said.