Tuko Wangapi? Tulizana – Gets Government beef up

Between Nov 5^th to 9^th, 2012 in Bagamoyo, Coast Region held a design workshop aimed at improving the on-going anti-AIDS mass media campaign on faithfulness known as Tuko Wangapi?-Tulizana (How many are we?, settle down). 

Christened as, Phase Two Design Workshop, the event attracted several players in the HIV/AIDS-related communications and behavioral change issues.

Mr Jumanne Issango, TACAIDS' Acting Director of Advocacy and Information (DAI)

Mr Jumanne Issango, speaking at the official opening of the five-day intensive working session and on behalf of the Executive Chairperson of the Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) Dr Fatma Mrisho, extended sincere congratulations to all participating stakeholders in this campaign; the funding organizations, technical support team and media houses for their valuable contributions.

Mary Plummer presenting her findings on Multiple Sexual Partnerships in Mwanza

We are all aware that the world is now counting down to three zeros; zero new infections, zero stigma and discrimination and zero death related to HIV. Tanzanians wishes the same to happen to them in few years to come. We are looking forward towards total elimination of new infections, stigma and all forms of discrimination reduced to zero and the possibility of averting death related to HIV.


This then is the global mission and our mission too. Therefore we have a responsibility to act through different interventions such as conducting awareness creation campaigns; for example through Tuko Wangapi? Tulizana in which we are here today for sharing the lessons learnt in the first phase and prepare the second.

We believe that the first phase successfully appealed to the community and prompted personal risk perception. That is the risk of concurrent partnership meaning overlapping sexual relationships. For example the campaign has helped them to be aware that the network of other partners connected to them may exist in absence of their knowledge. 

In the same avenue it is also definite that the campaign has prompted Tanzanians to start thinking on the solutions to this problem.

So let this team assists Tanzanians through the second phase of the campaign to realize self – efficacy, improve couple communication and reduce sexual partners. Also let this working session be creative in designing a campaign which is capable to overcome  behavior change barriers and clear out misconception so as to achieve the set objectives.

Dear team, my appeal to all of us; let us practice what we preach and please let us be role models to the community we are serving. For if this campaign does not work out to help us- the pioneers, and then we cannot expect it to be of any use to other lot of citizens who we are representing today.

Mr Shoko from NACP stressing a point on how to improve Tuko wangapi-Tulizana campaign

Finally I would like to forward for your consideration the issue of sustainability. We would like to see this campaign to be sustained. Some plans should be in place because it is in our understanding that the support from donors has limitations both in amount and tenure. On behalf of the Government, TACAIDS pledges support in any way possible for success of this campaign and wishes you a fruitful session.

On his part, Hemed Shoko, BCC officer at the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSW) assured his department's support to the Tuko wangapi-Tulizana mass media campaign.

There is no way that NACP can shy away from supporting these initiatives. What we all need to do is to ensure we don't send a conflicting messages or design messages that will overshadow the already existing initiatives, remarked Shoko, himself a specialist in mass media communication
  

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