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

Key Implementers
MoHSW, Academic Inst, Reference and Zonal lab
Intervention area 4: Priority HIV and AIDS and STI research.
Preamble
Research is a support function in the health sector strategy. Research is expected to:
provide the evidence- base needed to respond to the myriad of complex issues arising from the
epidemic itself and the attempts to control it.
facilitate the identification and understanding of determinants of HIV spread
support the national response against HIV/ AIDS/ STI s and TB.
Situation analysis
The National Health Policy on HIV/AIDS has provisions for promoting and supporting multi-disciplinary
operations research on HIV and AIDS. In order to produce information relevant for solving the complex
questions existing in the epidemic operational research is considered.
At the present time there are some partners and agencies who are still interested in supporting operations
research on HIV/AIDS.
Achievements
The existence of two national institutions coordinating research namely, The National Institute
for Medical Research, an institution within the MOHSW and The Tanzania Commission for
Science and technology (COSTECH) and The Tanzania Commission for Science and
Technology.
Existence of” Research priorities on HIV/AIDS /STDs for the HIV and AIDS Health sector
strategy”.
o The research gaps in biomedical Research, Surveillance and Epidemiological Research,
Social Behavioural and Communications Research, Care and Treatment and Health
Services Research, HIV/AIDS in children and infant Research, have been identified.
Collaborative working initiatives between biomedical researchers and Traditional Healers have
been implemented by partners especially the Institute of Traditional Medicine at the Muhimbili
University College of Health Sciences (ITM-MUCHS).
Most of the research that has been carried out falls within the priority area and only 25% is
outside the priorities
Challenges
Aspects Challenges of Priority HIV and AIDS and STI research
Availability • Limited understanding of the nature and driving forces of the HIV epidemic at
the sub-national level and among sub-populations
• Paucity of research projects that address equity and gender dimensions in
HIV and AIDS
• Inadequate dissemination of the results of research locally, to policy makers ,
programmes managers and the beneficiaries
Equitable
access
• Very little has been done in the area of Paediatrics HIV/AIDS.
• Most funds provided by partners are committed to specific research areas.
This tendency leaves little room for research managers to come up with new
research agenda or research questions. In such a situation conducting and
supporting operational research becomes difficult and little or no funds are
set aside for it.
Quality • Lack of research policy on HIV and AIDS
• Weak research coordination within NACP thus limited capacity to co-ordinate
59 |FINAL COMBINED-HSHSP 2008-2012: June 24 th 2007