the united republic of tanzania health sector hiv and aids strategic plan

2.0 SECTION TWO:
NARRATIVE AND JUSTIFICATION OF THE MATRICES
2.1. THEMATIC AREA: PREVENTION
2.1.1 Introduction
The HIV epidemic in Tanzania is the result of a complex interplay between biological, socio-cultural and
socio-economic factors. The strategies outlined here aim to decrease the risk of infection among the
general population, with special attention to young people, both through enhancing knowledge and skills
and through making relevant health services more accessible and youth friendly. The health sector at the
community level will contribute towards a dialogue about sexuality, gender inequality and cultural practices
in order to initiate critical reflection and action to reduce local factors that increase vulnerability to HIV.
Availability of relevant health services, such as management of Sexually Transmitted Infections, HIV testing
and counselling (HTC), prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) and safe blood will be further
expanded while safeguarding the quality and ensuring gender sensitivity. Condoms, both male and female,
will be made available in all health facilities using innovative and alternative channels and outlets.
The available evidence shows that financial resources allocated to broad prevention programmes have a
range of positive effects on public health in general. A comprehensive review of this and other literature by
Staugard (2002) concludes that “broad primary prevention programmes are at least 28 times more costeffective
than HAART, and that broad primary prevention has a range of positive spin-off effects on public
health and disease control in general and no known side-effects.” Therefore an intensified and
comprehensive prevention programme is very critical.
Intervention area 1: Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV
Preamble
Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) has become a crucial intervention in the global
fight against the epidemic. In Tanzania about 1.4 million women become pregnant each year. Data from
sentinel surveillance sites in Tanzania (2005) indicate that the overall HIV prevalence among pregnant
women attending antenatal clinics is 8.2%. When effectively and appropriately implemented, PMTCT
services have the potential to prevent infection in babies who would otherwise be born HIV-positive or
contract the infection during delivery and breast feeding.
Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV core interventions include:
Information and counseling on preventing HIV transmission (Primary prevention)
Family planning for women living with HIV and AIDS.(Prevent unintended pregnancies)
Use of antiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child.
Infant feeding counseling.
HIV treatment and care for infected mothers, infants and other family members.
Situation analysis
In 2002, the MOHSW established the first five pilot sites. The pilot sites have been evaluated and the major
recommendation was to scale up PMTCT to all the regions in a phased approach manner.
22 |FINAL COMBINED-HSHSP 2008-2012: June 24 th 2007