the impact of hiv/aids on the education sector in tanzania

Table 2.3 Distribution <strong>of</strong> reported AIDS cases by age and sex, Tanzania
2001
Age
group
18
Male Female Unknown Total
No. % No. % No. % No. %
0-4 198 3.2 186 2.4 4 10.0 388 2.7
5-9 116 1.9 101 1.3 6 15.0 223 1.6
10-14 66 1.1 91 1.2 0 0.0 157 1.1
15-19 139 2.2 418 5.4 1 2.5 558 4.0
20-24 479 7.7 1,095 14.0 8 20.0 1,582 11.2
25-29 894 14.3 1,656 21.2 2 5.0 2,552 18.1
30-34 1,247 19.9 1,710 21.9 6 15.0 2,963 21.0
35-39 1,131 18.1 1,135 14.5 4 10.0 2,270 16.1
40-44 809 12.9 662 8.5 3 7.5 1,474 10.4
45-49 479 7.7 346 4.4 2 5.0 827 5.9
50-54 306 4.9 191 2.4 4 10.0 501 3.6
55-59 157 2.5 91 1.2 0 0.0 248 1.8
60-64 123 2.0 59 0.8 0 0.0 182 1.3
65+ 85 1.4 22 0.3 0 0.0 107 0.8
Unknown 32 0.5 48 0.6 0 0.0 80 0.6
Total 6,261 100.0 1 7,811 100.0 40 100.0 14,112 100.0
Source: Tanzania MoH, 2001
However, <strong>the</strong>re are signs <strong>of</strong> hope that this devastating epidemic can be brought under
control. In countries such as Uganda and South Africa <strong>the</strong> situation does seem to be
improving. In several regions <strong>of</strong> Uganda, <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> HIV infections appears to be on <strong>the</strong>
decline: <strong>the</strong>re is a steady drop in HIV prevalence among 15-19 year-old pregnant women
(Rugalema and Khanye, 2002). In South Africa HIV prevalence rates among pregnant women
under 20 fell from 21 per cent in 1998 to 15.4 per cent in 2001, although overall growth rates
are still increasing. In Tanzania <strong>the</strong> challenge is how to sustain <strong>the</strong> low prevalence rates <strong>of</strong>
some regions, whilst decreasing <strong>the</strong> current high prevalence rates in o<strong>the</strong>rs (e.g. Mbeya, Dar
es Salaam and Kilimanjaro). NACP documents indicate that <strong>the</strong> pattern <strong>of</strong> infection is also
changing, as a result <strong>of</strong> greater coverage in Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT),
coupled with <strong>the</strong> increased use <strong>of</strong> antiretroviral (ARV) <strong>the</strong>rapy and higher levels <strong>of</strong> condom
use.
1 If <strong>the</strong> percentages given here are added up, <strong>the</strong> total percentage comes to 100.3. However, this is because <strong>the</strong>
figures have been rounded to 1 d.p., ra<strong>the</strong>r than because <strong>of</strong> any inaccuracy in <strong>the</strong> statistics. For this reason, all <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong> total percentages have been given as 100.0.