Tanzania has been praised her effective and practical strategies in the war
against the HIV/AIDS pandemic that has recently led the majority of the
Tanzanians to talk more openly about he pandemic, take HIV tests and shun
stigmatization.
The Director for joint United Nation’s Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Bunmi
Makinwa showered the praise on Tanzania when he met President Jakaya Mrisho
Kikwete and the First Lady Mama Salma Kikwete in New York yesterday.
“Your bold move to take a public HIV test that was televised live
throughout Tanzania is an excellent example of the political will and
seriousness of your government to eradicate the pandemic and other countries in
Africa are now emulating this courageous move,” he said.
The UNAIDS director also commended the First Lady MAMA Salma Kikwete for
her efforts in helping women and children fight the HIV/AIDS through her Women
and Development Foundation(WAMA) where by the Prevention of HIV infection from
mother to child has been given due priority.
Speaking during a brief meeting with UNAIDS chief, President Jakaya Mrisho
Kikwete said that since he launched the National HIV test campaign on 14 July
this year a number of Tanzanians have been going for voluntary counseling and
testing adding that by December this year a significant number of Tanzanians
would have gone for testing.
“The aim of this campaign is to get a correct picture of this problem so
that we can address it accordingly. When we have correct statistics we will be
better placed to take effective and appropriate measures to fight the HIV/AIDS
pandemic in the country,” he said.
President Kikwete further told Mr.Makinwa that whenever he holds a public
rally in Tanzania he preaches about the dangers of the HIV/AIDS to the Tanzanian
public insisting on abstinence, faithfulness among couples and the use of
condoms as effective means for AIDS prevention.
The UNAIDS boss told the president that his organization would collaborate
closely with the Tanzanian government and other stakeholders in supporting
programs geared towards prevention the further spread of HIV/AIDS in the country
and cater for treatment and care of those affected by the pandemic.
Tanzania,
is a country on the east coast of east Africa. 
