Health Deputy Permanent Secretary, Dr Seif Shekalaghe, has challenged health stakeholders to step up efforts in fighting against HIV spread to children.
Dr Shakilaghe stated this recently during the opening of the Global Alliance to End AIDS in Children by 2030 that involved health experts from 12 countries on the African continent who are putting together global strategies to eradicate AIDS pandemic in children.
Speaking at the meeting held at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre, Dr Shekalaghe pointed out that the struggle to eradicate AIDS among children was ongoing, but the pace was low as it was among adults, noting that the group has been forgotten.
“We have come up with special strategies to eradicate AIDS to children by 2030. Children are the hope for a better future. If we eradicate this disease, we will have great benefits, including reducing the cost of treatment for AIDS.”
Health sector experts from participating countries gathered to set up joint strategies.
Earlier, the Head of the Information Unit in the government’s Ministry of Health, Aminiel Aligaesha, stated that the Ministry in collaboration with the health stakeholders has continued to implement various interventions to end the global epidemic by the year 2030.
He added that Tanzania has for the past 30 years been fighting against the AIDS and there has been great successes made in implementing various strategies to eradicate HIV infections to children.
Tanzania has been chosen to host the launch of a new global strategy to end AIDS in children by 2030 for the African regions. The launch of this new strategy began on August 1, 2022 in Montreal, Canada.
The main reason for the world to come up with a specific strategy to fight the disease among the children include imbalance in getting services between children and adults, which has continued to grow not only in the availability of these services but also in their quality worldwide.
The countries implementing this strategy for the African region include the host Tanzania, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Kenya, South Africa and Mozambique.
