Tanzania: Over 1,000 Test for HIV in Shinyanga
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The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
27 August 2008
Posted to the web 28 August 2008
Herman Meza
Five per cent of 1,171 Muslims and Christians, who voluntarily tested for HIV here during the first week of the exercise initiated by leaders of the two religions were found to be positive.
Mrs Saida Msumi, the communication and training coordinator of Balm in Gilead, which conducted the campaign, said four HIV testing centres were set up to provide free service for followers of the two main religions.
"Oddly a good number of people turned out for testing in the selected health centres of Iselamagazi, Bugisi (in Shinyanga Rural), Majengo mosque, new bus stand mosque, Ngokolo Roman Catholic dispensary and AICT Kambarage were highly motivated in the first seven days of the exercise," Mrs Msumi said.
Analysis shows that 555 people tested in urban centres and 616 in rural centres, while those attended at mosque testing centres were 236 and church based centres took 319 people.
According to statistics availed to The Citizen yesterday, 26 people were tested positive out of 31, who volunteered for HIV testing at church centres, equivalent to eight per cent. Out of 234 Muslims who appeared for testing at mosque testing centres 11 were found to have been infected, equivalent to four per cent of all those, who turned out at mosque centres.
Balm in Gilead ran a sensitization campaign and training seminars for health coordinators, religious leaders and journalists in Shinyanga municipality mid-August.
The seminars were followed by an in-house campaign by religious leaders, road shows and a local media blitz.
The Balm in Gilead coordinator said the turnout had surpassed the target of one thousand people, for which he praised the work done by the media, religious leaders and HIV counselors for facilitating a successful campaign.
Mrs Msumi said the Shinyanga campaign was actually a pilot project in the latest HIV combating approach introduced in the country in collaboration with the office of the Zanzibar Mufti, the National Council of Tanzania Muslims (Bakwata), the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) and the Christian Council of Tanzania (CCT).
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These have jointly formed a partnership known as Tanzania HIV-Aids Interfaith Partnership (TIP) whose motto is 'Our Mosques and Churches Show the Way,'" she added.
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