THE National Council of People Living with HIV (NACOPHA) is set to hold a National Dialogue Conference next month which aim at celebrating achievements and come up with strategies for enhancing progress.
NACOPHA Chief Executive Officer, Deogratius Rutatwa said the conference will be held on September 2 this year in Dodoma and is expected to be graced by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
“This conference will provide an opportunity to showcase our solidarity and celebrate our achievements attained so far,” he said.
Mr Rutatwa said that the national dialogue will also highlight the importance of people living with HIV in society, including their manual work, innovation, art and services that help reduce stigma.
He also noted that they also recognise the importance of including youth, women and marginalised groups in the HIV/AIDS prevention strategies by assisting them in raising awareness, self-confidence and accessing healthcare without stigma which is crucial to achieving the goals of ending HIV/AIDS by 2030.
“We aim to mobilise the community for the National Dialogue that will take place in September 2023 in Dodoma. We believe that the partnership between stakeholders and the community will yield positive results for the HIV/AIDS response by 2030 (COMMUNITY IMPACT 2030).”
For his part, Director of Advocacy and Information TACAIDS, Mr Jumanne Issango said, “as we continue to monitor these crucial efforts by the government and stakeholders to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic, it’s also important to remind citizens to continue with their personal efforts to protect themselves from HIV infection.
We have been dedicated on implementing plans, policies and strategies aimed at ending this epidemic by 2030. We have witnessed positive changes in the percentage of people living with HIV who are receiving treatment and this is a significant step towards achieving our goals.”
He added that the forthcoming conference will emphasise the significance of people living with HIV, saying that they recognise that these individuals play a vital role in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The national dialogue will provide them with an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities, contributions to society and how they can assist in eradicating stigma and raising awareness.
Amri Mchangi, a board member of NACOPHA, stated, “In this national dialogue, we will emphasise the importance of people living with HIV. We understand that their voices are crucial in achieving our goals. These individuals living with HIV have a better understanding of their challenges and needs.”
“Through this dialogue, our goal is to create an environment that fosters collaboration among various stakeholders. We will discuss strategies to protect and enhance NACOPHA’s effectiveness in assisting people living with HIV and the broader community,” he explained.