Tanzania HIV/AIDS and Malaria Indicator Survey ... - Measure DHS

INTRODUCTION 11.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATIONHIV continues to spread around the world. It has become increasingly apparent that theepidemic does not follow the same course in all societies. It affects different sub-groups in differentways at different times. Tanzania has been struggling against HIV infection and AIDS for almost aquarter of a century. The epidemic started in the Kagera Region with the diagnosis and reporting ofthree cases in 1983. In 1986 all regions reported the epidemic. Since then, HIV has continued tospread and there was a dramatic increase in the number of AIDS cases as more HIV-infected peoplesuccumbed to opportunistic infections arising from suppressed immune systems. As in other sub-Saharan countries, HIV infection is spread predominantly by heterosexual contact.The HIV/AIDS pandemic is an escalating phenomenon. Based on current information fromUNAIDS, 33 million people are living with the HIV virus, the vast majority of whom are in theirprime years as workers and parents. Forty-five percent of all new infections among adults are youngpeople age 15-24.Over the 25 years of the epidemic in Tanzania, emphasis has been placed on the developmentof strategies and approaches to scale up the interventions and deal with the epidemic. Despite all theseefforts, the number of people infected continues to grow because of ongoing new infections. People inurban areas have a higher prevalence relative to those in rural areas. It is estimated that about 2.2million people are living with the virus and about 400,000 are in need of anti-retroviral therapy(MOH, 2004).The devastating impact of the disease is almost incomprehensible. The consequences of theepidemic affect all spheres of life. The human capital loss has a serious social and economic impact inall sectors, and at community and individual levels. The surging of many opportunistic infections suchas tuberculosis and some forms of cancer is a result of HIV infection. The result is that manyresources are diverted from other areas to HIV prevention, care, and treatment.It has been seen that poverty significantly influences the spread of HIV/AIDS, whichultimately leads to a loss of the most productive segment of society, leading to reduction of incomeand suffering for individuals and communities. At the community level, poverty imposes enormousstrains on the extended family structure, leading to a substantial burden of orphans and vulnerablechildren (OVCs) now estimated at 17 percent in Tanzania according to the results of the 2007-08Tanzania HIV/AIDS and Malaria Indicators Survey. A social consequence is the growing number ofchild- and widow-headed households. Morbidity and mortality among parents has severely affectedchildren, especially those in school, who are forced to stay home and take care of sick parents.The economy has been adversely affected by the premature death of women and men in theirprime years of productivity. This also affects the development of institutional capacity, which requiresskilled workers and leaders. Professionals in medical care, education, agriculture, and engineering arenot easily replaced. The demographic consequences of the epidemic are reflected in the country’squality of life indicators, including the increasing level of infant mortality and the decreasing lifeexpectancy.The 2007-08 Tanzania HIV/AIDS and Malaria Indicator Survey (THMIS) was designed tomonitor the trends of HIV infection and behavioural risk factors. It is also designed to provide anestimate of the malaria prevalence among children under five. The THMIS data can be used to guidestrategic planning and evaluation of programmes, and to complement and calibrate estimates obtainedfrom other sources.Introduction | 1