RUVUMA: RUVUMA Region has made significance progress in curbing HIV infections by recording a decrease of 0.7 per cent from 5.6 per cent in 2017 to 4.9 per cent in 2022.
Speaking on Monday during the inauguration of World AIDS Day week, which will nationally be marked in Ruvuma region, Regional Commissioner, Colonel Ahmed Abbas Ahmed said the region has a total of 68,237 people living with HIV, comprising 24,959 men (37 per cent) and 43,000 women (63 per cent) while children under 15 years account for 2,382 cases, representing 3.5 per cent.
He said the leading councils are Songea Municipality, followed by Tunduru and Mbinga Districts.
“I urge all people living with HIV (PLHIV) to adhere to care and treatment guidelines and directives including taking antiretroviral therapy (ART). This is an effective way to manage this disease,” said Colonel Abbas.
He identified the factors that contribute to new infections as population interactions and economic activities. He urged the citizens to take protective measures to avoid infection.
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Meanwhile, Head of the Health Sector Improvement Unit from the Ministry of Health, Dr Catherine Joachim, commended Ruvuma Region for its efforts in reducing infection rates. She said the region is leading nationally in HIV testing.
“Ruvuma Region continues to excel in the ‘95-95-95’ targets, with a 2023 study showing that 82 per cent of its residents are aware of their HIV status. 97 per cent of those diagnosed are on ART while 90 per cent of those on treatment have achieved viral suppression,” Dr Joachim said.
The World AIDS Day commemoration week is being observed in various regions across the country, with the national event planned to be held in Ruvuma on December 1, 2024.
The closing ceremony is expected to be graced by Vice President, Dr Philip Mpango.
The Tanzania HIV Impact Survey 2022- 2023 (THIS 2022-2023) shows that the annual number of new cases of HIV among adults (aged 15 years and older) in Tanzania was 0.18 per cent, which corresponds to approximately 60,000 new cases of HIV per year among adults.
The prevalence of HIV among adults in Tanzania was 4.4 per cent, which corresponds to approximately 1,548,000 adults living with HIV. HIV prevalence was higher among women (5.6 per cent) than men (3.0 per cent).
