Tanga striving to extend HIV/Aids battle frontiers

From CHEJI BAKARI in Tanga

IN a move aimed at trimming the HIV infection rate in Tanga Region drops to at least one per cent, an NGO, Ariel Glaser Pediatric AIDS Healthcare Initiative (AGPAHI), in collaboration with regional and districts health management teams have agreed to implement Bukoba Combination Prevention Evaluation (BCPE) ideas.

The idea has objective of making sure the region is achieving the target of ambitious three-pronged 90 per cent target by 2020. The components are 90 per cent diagnosis of people living with HIV, 90 per cent of all diagnosed HIV clients being on anti retroviral treatment and 90 per cent viral load in the blood of HIV victims being totally suppressed.
Speaking during a twoday HIV/AIDS stakeholders meeting held in Tanga recently, GPAHI Managing Director, Dr Sekela Mwakyusa said the research in then HIV service delivery model had uncovered several challenges and gaps that compromised progress in tackling the problem.
According to national 2017 HIV statistics, Tanga Region’s infection rate had doubled to 5.0 per cent from 2.4 per cent in 2011/2012. She cited other challenges as shortage of health sector workers, inadequate documentation from results collection points, lack of testing points and low coverage of Anti retroviral treatment services. Others are poor infrastructure, lack of privacy and inadequate space.
Towards tackling the challenges effectively, the NGO, in collaboration with district health sector management teams, have agreed to address shortfalls in diagnosis, by improving HIV testing services to cover all high volume sites and hot spot areas through outreach services