USAID Afya Yangu Southern and USAID Kizazi Hodari Bring new hope for HIV and Tuberculosis Patients

USAID Afya Yangu Southern Project Chief of Party, Dr. Marina Njelekela (right), USAID Kizazi Hodari Southern Chief of Party, Ms. Doroth Matoyo (left), and Deloitte Tanzania Consulting Partner, Ms. Zahra Nensi, attending the 10th Tanzania Health Summit in Dar es Salaam at the weekend.

By Our Correspondent, Dar es Salaam.

The five-year projects of USAID Afya Yangu Southern ya Kusini and USAID Kizazi Hodari Southern, managed by Deloitte under the sponsorship of the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), through the coordination of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), have achieved significant success in assisting the Government of Tanzania in addressing the challenges of HIV and tuberculosis in the southern regions heavily burdened by the effects of these diseases.

Dr. Marina Njelekela, the Chief of Party of the USAID Afya Yangu Southern project, speaking at the 10th Tanzania Health Summit in Dar es Salaam over the weekend, stated that the $102 million project aims to support the delivery of quality HIV and Tuberculosis (TB) services, including prevention, care, TB treatment, and HIV antiretroviral therapy in six southern regions of Tanzania.

"The project supports approximately 1,409 health facilities in the regions of Iringa, Lindi, Morogoro, Mtwara, Njombe, and Ruvuma in providing services and testing for both communicable and non-communicable diseases, for the year 22/23, 1.1 million people were tested for HIV/AIDS, with 48,000 of them testing positive for the virus," Dr. Marina Njelekela explained.

On the other hand, the Chief of Party of the USAID Kizazi Hodari Southern, Ms. Doroth Matoyo, said that the five-year, $28.5 million project aims to assist orphaned and vulnerable children living in high-risk environments who, in one way or another, have been affected by HIV, It has reached more than 86,965 beneficiaries, including 56,527 women and 30,438 men, in 11 regions of mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.

"The project has been highly successful in providing HIV services as well as services that improve nutrition, health, education, prevention, mental health, and life skills," said Ms. Doroth.

On his party Mr. Carlton Jones, the Director Advisory of Deloitte Tanzania, emphasized the importance of Tanzanians adhering to best health practices, as despite various efforts, the rate of infection remains unsatisfactory, he noted that the current perception of HIV as a common disease within the community leads to the disregard of health professionals' advice.

Earlier, the Deloitte Tanzania Director of Results Management, Dr. Moses Ringo, emphases the significance of using HIV antiretroviral drugs, highlighting that it is crucial in the fight against the disease. “When a person uses medication to suppress the virus to below 50 copies in their blood, the likelihood of transmitting it to others decreases,” said Dr. Ringo.

Both projects, each spanning five years, began with the USAID Afya Yangu Southern Project on November 9, 2021, and the USAID Kizazi Hodari Southern Project on March 24, 2022, serving the regions of Iringa, Njombe, Ruvuma, Lindi, Mtwara, Rukwa, Katavi, Songwe, Pwani, Morogoro, and Mjini Magharibi in Zanzibar.