JE WEWE UMESHAPIMA?

Dar es Salaam residents were yesterday implored to check their HIV/Aids status and act responsibly in reversing the alarming infection rate in the region. Acting Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Abdallah Kihato said HIV infection rate in the region stood at 8.9 per cent, well above the national rate of 5.8 per cent.

The acting RC said Dar es Salaam region ranked second in the country, in
terms of HIV infection. Mr Kihato, who graced the International Women’s Day celebrations held at regional level at Mnazi Mmoja grounds yesterday, said the 2007/08 research findings by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that women led by 10.2 per cent in infection rate compared to 7.3 per cent of men.

He said there were 31 voluntarycounselling and testing (VCT) centres in the region that issued anti-retroviral drugs (ARV) and that 57,944 people had registered
themselves for the services out of which 36,000 have started taking the life prolonging drugs.

The acting RC underscored the importance of men involvement in caring for the people living with HIV instead of leaving the task to women saying this will not only help to reduce stigma against ailing relatives but also reinforce peace, love and unity at family level.

“In African culture families stand together in anything that besets them. Let us also
share the responsibility of caring for family members living with AIDS,” he said. He also called upon Dar es Salaam residents to turn up en masse for the referendum against albino and elderly killers on witchcraft beliefs and armed robbers slated for March 29 in the region.

Speaking on behalf of the regional women, Ms Mwanne Yusuf said women were irked by the vices and supported the campaign to name the killers that was launched by the Prime Minister, Mr Mizengo Pinda, last Thursday. She pledged with Dar es Salaam authorities to construct more secondaryschools to save the female students from walking long distances to schools, a factor that exposes them to various risks including rape, violence and HIV/AIDS.