Tanzania: Udom On Campaign to Tackle HIV/Aids, Ncds

UNIVERSITY of Dodoma (UDOM) has embarked on a three-day campaign to tackle HIV/AIDs and chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among its workers and the community at large.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign here on Monday, Acting Director of Higher Education in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Dr Fabian Nyenyembe, said the country is witnessing a sharp increase in cases of NCDs both in rural and urban areas.

He said such cases are pushing backwards the government's efforts to improve social and economic wellbeing among its people.

"All these diseases used to be reported in developed countries but today we live with people who have been affected and this includes civil servants," he said.

According to Dr Nyenyembe, the government efforts to battle HIV and NCDs hasn't brought any tangible results, hence, calling on the general public to change the lifestyle as an attempt to tackle the problem.

"Diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure can be prevented by 80 per cent and HIV/AIDs can also be prevented by 90 per cent," he said.

He noted that such diseases paralyse the nation workforce, thereby slowing the Gross Domestic Product and increasing the health burden.

UDOM Acting ViceChancellor Prof Said Vuai said the university is launching the campaign hoping it will help people understand their status as well as lower the HIV infection rate.

UDOM Hospital Medical In-charge HIV and NCDs Dr Matobogolo Boaz, said the campaign dubbed "Know your health, test HIV" will also include the screening of chronic NCDs -- high blood pressure, diabetes, and body mass index. "All the screening will be on voluntary and it is not compulsory to screen all the diseases," he said.

Public Inspection Response Officer at the Tanzania Commission of AIDs (TaCAIDS) Dr Hafidh Ameir told the university community that 60 per cent of civil servants are at high risk of noncommunicable diseases.

He noted that the government has been working on eliminating the health challenge, hailing the university for initiating the campaign that he believes could add value to the global goal on HIV and AIDS.

Over 72,000 people contract HIV annually in Tanzania in which 40 per cent of the population are youths.