Dar es Salaam: CoBaSys research finds HIV/AIDs epidemic has scaled up at both global and national levels

The Community Based Systems in HIV treatment (CoBaSys) project through the University of Dar es salaam and in close collaboration with Centro Universitario Di Servizi Per La Cooperazione Allo Sviluppo (C.U.S.C.O.S.) this week hosted a final conference meeting in Dar es salaam, the capital of Tanzania 

Participants to the CoBaSys meeting following live presentation

“The objective of the final conference was to assure the effective cooperation at International and inter-regional level within national and regional stakeholders that are working on HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care,” according to Prof. Ernest Mallya from the University of Dar es salaam and COBASYS team leader in Tanzania.

The meeting aimed to promote: the sharing of the results of 6 African Countries National Roundtables, discussion on policy recommendations and Southern Eastern Africa common strategies and on HIV/AIDS response’s sustainability and Global Financial Crisis.

Stakeholders invited presented results of the Africa-Europe cooperation in assessing the different factors influencing adherence of medical treatment to HIV and how they can impact on reducing stigma and social exclusion.
  
According to Giovanni Guaraldi who is the CoBaSys project coordinator, some of the topics covered include but not limited to: Discussing Community Based System results and challenges, discussing policy recommendations and Southern Africa common strategies to promote access, treatment and care. The conference participants will also discuss the problem of sustainability of HIV/AIDS treatment and donor dependency,” he added. 

This final CoBaSys meeting, therefore, aimed to discuss how the Community Models would face the future, always more characterized by HIV/AIDS transformation in chronic disease, lack of donor funding and increase in inequality in accessing quality health services. 

Presentations

We hope that even if Community Model might not be more sufficient to care the increased challenges (co-morbidities) accompanied by PLWHIV ageing, rise of civil right and citizenship will assure that health and social rights will be defend and a more equitable access to quality health services might be assure at national and international level.

The workshop was part of – CoBaSys – project, Community Based System in HIV Treatment that aims at creating a regional network for policy advocacy to empower communities in supporting antiretroviral delivery programmes for patients with HIV infection in Southern and Eastern African countries. 

Community-Based Care models have been advocated by governments and organizations as they encourage participation, with the community actively involved in identifying their problems and needs, prioritizing them and mobilizing their own resources to meet those needs. 

 Note to Editors:

The Community Based System in HIV Treatment – CoBaSys (www.cobasys.eu) is an ACP Science & Technology funded project that is being implemented in Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

In the past The COBASYS stakeholders meetings have been  organized and funded by the European Union to undertake extensive research on health services delivered to communities in Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana and Namibia. 

COBASYS team leader in the country is Prof Ernest Mallya,Among some of the challenges that face the global initiative towards elimination of HIV infections in the country is lack of trained staffs, shortage of medicines, equipment, health workers. Another challenge is the dynamic changes of HIV/AIDS issues which needed policy changes.

Group photo

In the recent past Tanzania was still using the 2001 policy in handling HIV/AIDS issues despite the fact that measures taken in fighting the disease have gone through a lot of changes since then. Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) updated the National HIV/AIDS Policy and has submitted it for the cabinet approval before it is made public.

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