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Response Foundation spreads anti-HIV/AIDS message at grassroots
2006-03-06 10:55:16
By FELIX ANDREW
The government in collaboration with local and international organisations has tirelessly joined forces to sensitize its people against HIV/AIDS.
Key strategies taken include abstinence, having one faithful partner, and the use of condoms. Nevertheless, the message has fallen in deaf years for the majority of people.
Most Non-Governmental Organisations operating in Tanzania have not given up the task of educating the people on the dangers of the incurable disease and its impact on the national economy.
They are concentrating on personal behaviour change as the only way of reducing contraction of the disease.
Charles Ogutu, Director of Response Foundation (RF), a non-governmental organization based in Dar es Salaam, says various researches conducted by his organization in collaboration with the government have found out that sexuality is largely responsible for the alarming rising rate of infection in Tanzania.
”We still have a long way to go to convince individual responsibility and changes of behaviour since a significant number of people seem to be reluctant to do away with reckless sexual behaviour,” he says.
”Our organization has been running a number of programs to help individuals change their behaviour. We believe that individual change of behaviour has an impact in the community in the fight against the disease,” he explains.
”RF,” he adds, ”has been directing its efforts to district and ward officials enhancing their capacities of imparting knowledge to the people.
RF took this approach to muster larger forces together in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Apart from behaviour change, Ogutu says people need thorough understanding of the infection and spread of HIV/AIDS.
”In reality, many people have information about HIV/AIDS but they luck proper knowledge on the same. This fuels stigma and consequently leads to more infection and re-infection of HIV,” Ogutu says.
He also notes that many people wrongly think that infected people show signs as early as they contract the virus. In fact, depending on ones immunity system, signs may sprout five to fifteen years after infection.
”Many people go without knowing their HIV status and may engage in sexual activities and consequently infect others or get re-infected without their knowledge,” explains.
RF chairman Paul Mzuka says some people have been looking at their partners’ appealing physical status and convince himself or herself that they are yet to be infected.
”Physical status alone is not enough proof because one may have been infected some years ago but still in quite period, in which very few signs may be evident unless a laboratory test is carried,” he says.
”One should never trust anyone regardless of social cohesion without laboratory proof. This means that one should build personal responsibility in issues of sexuality,” he adds.
He insists that one should trust oneself alone. Here comes in the issue of voluntary testing and counselling and constant and proper use of condoms for one to engage in safe sex.
He says that various researches show that the majority are neither ready for Hiv testing
Nevertheless, some findings indicate that apart from the fact that condoms are not enough, yet many people do not know proper usage of the same.
Reports by institutions dealing with condom importation in the country, depict shortage of it in respect to the actual need. The amount being imported yearly is yet to cover the Tanzania’s sexually active population.
The problem is yet to be thoroughly addressed to. As a result there is an increase in the rate of infection, says a medical doctor of Amana Hospital in Dar es Salaam.
Clarifying, he says the average number of condom users is seven million people while in the market there are only fifty million condoms per year, meaning that on average a person will use only seven condoms a year.
Given these statistics, it is evident that one cannot, under normal circumstance use seven condoms a year. Imperatively, this person is forced to engage in unsafe sex rendering him/her vulnerable to infection.
Moreover, the majority of young men do not feel comfortable using condoms. Many times the young men hide condoms in their pockets without being courageous enough to use them unless their partners insist.
This results from the fear of loosing their long-hard gotten partners.
In addition, some young men use condoms in the first time or second of their meeting but never use them after feeling that they are used to each other.
RF Programme Co-ordinator Ibrahim Kisungwe says that his organization has conducted a number of seminars in Arusha, Mara, Dar es Salaam and Coast regions focusing on individual behavioural change.
Recently, the organisation held seminars to village leaders in Kisarawe district. The seminar revealed that the HIV/AIDS situation in the district was alarming as the rate of infection is as high as 10.8 percent.
Statistics from the Kisarawe District Hospital indicate that in 2005 in a population not exceeding 100,000, there were 672 people infected with HIV/AIDS, 373 females and 299 males.
’With these statistics our hearts were moved and without hesitation we decided to secure funds from Forum Syd International who sponsored us to train leaders of five villages of Msimbu, Homboza, Maguruwe, Kitanga and Gumba,” he says.
He says the training was very useful as leaders acknowledged to have acquired better knowledge about the disease.
’We also had an opportunity to learn a lot from the leaders. Village leaders showed their concern that they need social and economic support to combat the effects of this major health hazard,’ the RF co-ordinator explains.
The government on its side is responsible for supporting Community-Based Organisations and NGOs, which are working closely with the people at the grassroots.
Figures from the Tanzania Commission for Aids (TACAIDS) show that more than two million Tanzanians have been infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
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