Saturday, September 28, 2013

Hivi kwanini wanaume tunazidiwa kupima VVU na wanawake?


Viongozi wa TACAIDS walipokutana na wahariri ofisini kwao
Kwa mujibu wa TACAIDS, kupima UKIMWI ni mlango wa kwanza wa kufanya maamuzi sahihi ya kujikinga na maambukizo ya Virusi Vya UKIMWI (VVU) na kuanza kutumia dawa za kupunguza maambukizo kama mpimaji atagundulika keshaambukizwa.
Takwimu zifuatazo zinaonyesha wanawake na wanaume waliopima na kujua hali zao za Afya kwa kila mkoa. Hii ni kwa mujibu wa utafiti wa Taifa kuhusu UKIMWI na Malaria (THMIS) wa mwaka 2011/12

MKOA    WANAWAKE    WANAUME      
Arusha                64                     29      
Dar es Salaam    72                     55      
Dodoma              63                     42      
Geita                   50                     35      
Iringa                   69                     53      
Kagera                66                     44      
Katavi                  47                     42      
Kigoma                62                     53      
Kilimanjaro           64                     52      
Lindi                     74                     53      
Mara                     59                     50      
Morogoro              56                     36      
Manyara                56                     41      
Mbeya                   54                     42      
Mtwara                  71                     50      
Njombe                  74                     65      
Pemba                   55                     36      
Pwani                     72                     48      
Dk Raphael Kalinga, Mkurugenzi wa Sera na Mipango, TACAIDS
Ruvuma                  69                     51      
Shinyanga               61                    49      
Singida                    61                     51      
Tabora                     70                     52      
Tanga                      57                     48      
Unguja                     61                     52            
Takwimu hizo zinabainisha jinsi wanaume wasivyokuwa wajasiri kupima VVU katika kila mkoa. Hii maana yake nini?
Wataalamu wa masuala ya UKIMWI wanasema, mbali na unyanyapaa unaouzunguka ugonjwa huu, lakini pia wanaume wengi husubiria majibu ya wake zao wanapokuwa kliniki ya ujauzito. “Majibu ya mkewe yakitoka negative basi nae (mme) hujitapa na kujifariji kuwa naye yuko negative” aliwahi kuniambia mwanaharakati mmoja.
Mkuu wa kitengo cha Sera na Mipango katika Tume ya UKIMWI Nchini Dk Raphael Kalinga yeye huwa ana sera yake: UKIMWI Unaanza na Mimi. UKIMWI ni Janga langu Binafsi!
Kwa mujibu wa Dk Kalinga, hadi pale kila mtu bila kujali ameoa au ameolewa atakapotambua kuwa UKIMWI ni janga lake binafsi na kuchukua hatua za kujilinda yeye binafsi changamoto za kuukabili ugonjwa huo zitaendelea kuwepo.
"Hebu tufike mahali kila mmoja wetu atambue ugonjwa huu ni janga lake binafsi," akasema Dk Kalinga na kuongeza, tumwachie Rais ndie asema UKIMWI ni janga la kitaifa...Mkuu wa Mkoa aseme UKIMWI ni janga la Mkoa wake...Mkuu wa Wilaya naye aseme UKIMWI ni janga la wilaya yake...hivo hivo hadi ngazi ya famailia na hatimae mtu binafsi"
Dk Kalinga anasema, katika kufanikiwa katika juhudi za kutatua tatizo la UKIMWI nchini, kimakati inabidi ijengwe kutoka kwa mtu binafsi kwani suala la msingi katika mapambano ya UKIMWI ni kubadili tabia miongoni ma wana jamii.
Kwa mujibu wa Dk Kalinga, sera iliyopita ilijikita katika programe za UKIMWI lakini katika sera mpya iliyofanyiwa marekebisho inaweka msisitizo wa programu hizo kujenga kwa mtazamo wa kwamba inabidi zianze kwa mtu binafsi.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Vita Dhidi ya UKIMWI nchini: TACAIDS yatoa hali halisi

Mwenyekiti Mtendaji wa TACAIDS Dk.Fatma Mrisho (katikati) akisikiliza swali kutoka kwa mwandishi (hayupo pichani) wakati viongozi wa tume walipokutana na wahariri juzi ili kutoa hali halisi ya UKIMWI nchini
NCHI  wanachama wa Umoja wa Mataifa (UwM) (Tanzania ikiwemo) zilikutana jijini New York, Marekani tarehe 10 June 2011 na kukubaliana malengo makuu ya UKIMWI ambayo kila moja ya nchi zilizohudhuria zitajitahidi kuyafanya. Mkutano ulihudhuriwa na wakuu wa nchi 30 na kuhudhuriwa na washiriki 3,000. Ujumbe wa Tanzania uliongozwa na Mhe Gharib Bilal, Makamu wa Rais. Mapema wiki hii, Mwenyekiti Mtendaji wa Tume ya UKIMWI Nchini (TACAIDS) Dk. Fatma Mrisho aliliongoza jopo la timu yake kukutana na wahariri wa habari nchini ili kuwapa hali halisi ya kampeni dhidi ya ugonjwa huo kama ilivyoagizwa katika mkutano wa Marekani, takribani miaka mitatu iliyopita.

Kupunguza  maambukizo ya UKIMWI yanayoambukizwa kwa njia ya kujamiiana.

Maambukizi yanapungua, ikiwemo maambukizi mapya, kupungua huku sio kukubwa kama ilivyotakiwa kuwa (7% 2003/04, 5.7% 201/08 na 5.3% 2011/12); miaka yote wanawake wana maambukizi zaidi ya wanaume, mijini maambukizi ni zaidi ya nje ya mji. Kwa miaka ya karibuni maambukizi kwa wanawake yameshuka kwa kiwango kidogo sana.

Kupunguza  maambukizi kwa watu wanaojidunga sindano za dawa za kulevya.
Wahariri wakimsikiliza kwa makini Mwenyekiti Mtendaji wa TACAIDS juzi
Taarifa zilizopo ni chache, lakini hizi chache zinaonesha kuwa wanajidunga sindano za madawa ya kulevya wana maambukizo ya UKIMWI kwa kiwango cha 12.3% hadi 42% hiki ni kiwango kikubwa zaidi kuliko wastani wa Taifa ambao ni 5.3%. lengo ni kupunguza maambukizi haya kwa nusu ya kiwango cha 2010. Wanaume wanaojamiana na wanaume wenzao wana maambukizo ya UKIMWI  kiwango cha 51/%, na wanawake wanaouza ngono Dar es salaam maambukizo ya UKIMWI ni 42%, wanawake wanaotumia njia ya nyuma kujamiiana wana hatari hiyo  hiyo. 

Kutokomeza maambukizi ya UKIMWI kutoka kwa mama kwenda kwa mtoto 

Lengo ni kufikia kiwango cha chini ya 5% ya maambukizo ya UKIMWI kutoka kwa mama kwenda kwa  mtoto (kutoka kwenye kiwango cha 18%). Wanawake wengi (85%) wajawazito wanapimwa na wanaopatikana na maambukizo hupatiwa dawa za kinga kwa watoto pamoja na wao kutumia dawa kupunguza makali ya maambukizo ya UKIMWI. Kuna mafanikio yanaonekana kutoka wastani wa watoto 26,000 walioambukizwa 2009 kufikia 15,000 mwaka 2012. Huduma nyingi za Mama na mtoto (93%) zinaunganisha pia huduma hii ya kuzuia maambukizo kutoka kwa mama kenda kwa mtoto.
Sehemu ya wahariri wakisikiliza mawasilisho kutoka kwa viongozi wa tume
Kufikia lengo la kuwa na watu 1.5 million walianza na kuendelea kutumia dawa za kupunguza makali ya UKIMWI (ARV)

Kuna wastani wa watu 710,000 wanaishi na virusi vya UKIMWI ambao wamefikia kiwango cha kustahili kuanza kutumia ARVs. Idadi ya watu wanaofikiwa na kuanza kutumia ARV imekuwa inaongezeka kwa kasi, hasa kuanzia 2010; lengo ni kufikia  watu 700,000 ifikapo 2015, hadi 2012, tayari zaidi ya watu 663,911wamefikiwa. Wanawake ni wengi kuliko wanaume na pia imeokekana kwamab wanaume huchelea kuanza kutumia huduma za afya za UKIMWI. Ikiwemo kupima na piaa kuanza tiba. Serikali inazidi kuboresha ufikiwaji wa watoto ambao kwa sasa ni 25%, lengo ni kufikia 70% ifikapo 2017. 

Kupunguza vifo vitokanavyo na kufua kikuu (TB) kwenye watu waishio na virusi vya UKIMWI .

Lengo ni kupunguza nusu ya vifo kutikana na TB kwenye watu wanaoishi na virusi vya UKIMWI ifikapo 2015. Huduma za TB na UKIMWI zimeunganishwa kwenye zaidi 90% ya huduma za afya. Kwenye watu ambao UKIMWI umechanganyika na TB, nusu  yao huenda wakapoteza maishsa kama  hawatiiwi ipasavyo. Inakadiriwa kwamba karibu ya 26% ya watu wanaomaambukizi yote mawili kwa wakati mmoja wanapatiwa tiba stahili. 
Wahariri
Kupunguza mahitaji ya rasilimali fedha za UKIMWI.

Mahitaji ya fedha ni mengi, kwa mwaka 2011/12 kumekuwa na kupungua rasilimali fedha ka kiwango cha 9%. Kutoka 2006/07 hadi sasa mgao ka sekta ya UKIMWI kwa nchi nzima umepungua kutoka ka zaidi. Wahisani wanaendelea kuonesha nia ya kutoa msaada kwa sekta hii, Serikali ya Marekani ikiongoza na kufuatiwa na Mfuko Maaluumu a UKIMWI, Malaria na Kifua Kikuu, Umoja wa Mataifa, Serikali z Canada, Denmark. Wastani wa 30% ya Halmashauri zimeanza kutenga fedha za UKIMWI kutokana na makusanyo ya Halmashauri, Tume ya kudhibiti UKIMWI inapendekeza kuwa lika Halmashauri ifanye hivyo ili ziweze kuhudumia yatima, wagonjwa w majumbani, kutoa huduma za kinga, kuboresha lishe kwa wahusika na kuwezesha wajane na yatima kuanzisha miradi ya kuongeza kipato na kupunguza utegemezi.
 
Kuondoa tofauti za kijinsia, uonevu na ukatili wa kijinsia, na kuongeza uwezo wa wanawake na watoto kujilinda na maambukizi wa UKIMWI.

38% ya wanaume wanaona ni sawa kwamba mume ana haki ya kumpiga mkewe kwenye mazingira Fulani. 61% ya wanawake  nchini waliachika /kutengana na mume/mwanamme wamewahi kupigwa, wanawake walioko kwenye ndoa 41% na hata ambao haawaajawahi kuwa kwenye ndoa 23% wameishapuigwa. Ngono ya kulazimishwa ni 20% yawnawake wa Tanzania wa umri wa miaka 15-49. Wengi wa wanawake hawa huwa wana hofu ya kwenda kwenye vyombo vya sheria, ijapokuwa sasa polisi wameanzisha dawati maalum la kutoa msaada stahili. Kuna haja ya elimu zaidi. Kwenye umri wa miaka ya 20-24, maabukizi kwa wanawake ni 4.4% ukilinganisha na wanaume ambao ni 1.7%
Kaimu Mkurugenzi wa Fedha wa Tume akitoa ufafanuzi kuhusu masuala ya fedha
Kuondoa kabisa unyanyapaa na ubaguzi unaolenga watu waishio na virusi vya UKIMWI

Unyanyapaa na ubaguzi bado ni kikwazo kikubwa nchini. Inaathiri ukubali wa kupima, ukubali wa kumwambia mwanafamilia, rafiki au kazini. Inaathiri pia utayari wa kuanza na kuendelea na dawa (ARVs), ukubali wa kutunza yatima, kujitangaza hadharani na kujiunga kwenye harakati za utetezi wa haki za watu wanaoishi na VVU. Unyanyapaa na ubaguzi pia unasababisha kuvunja haki za msingi za watu waishio na VVU (mfano mirathi, ulezi wa yatima, kuajiriwa na kuendelea kufanya kazi, upangaji wa nyumba, n.k).

Kuboresha mifumo ya kutolea huduma za UKIMWI kwenye sekta ya afya

Kwa kiwango kikubwa hili limewezekana, 93% ya huduma za mama na mtoto pia zinapima UKIMWI. Vituo vya upimaji vimeongezeka maradufu kwenye miaka ya karibuni. Dawa za ARVs zenye ubora zinapatikana. Kuna upungufu wa raslimali watu ambao serikali inautambua na kuna jitihada kubwa za kujaza mapengo.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Melbourne selected to host world’s largest conference on HIV and AIDS 2014

Australia’s strong political, scientific and civil society commitment to ending the HIV epidemic both nationally and throughout the Asia Pacific region among reasons for selection of Melbourne as host for the XX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014)

Melbourne, Australia has been chosen to host the XX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014), the largest international conference on HIV and AIDS, where every two years up to 25,000 participants, representing all stakeholders in the global response to HIV, meet to assess progress and identify future priorities. AIDS 2014 will be the twentieth in the series of International AIDS Conferences.

AIDS 2014 is organized by the International AIDS Society (IAS) in partnership with selected government, scientific and civil society partners from Australia and the wider Asia Pacific region, as well as international partners from civil society and the United Nations. With a strong focus on Asia Pacific, one of the two local scientific, community and leadership partners will be chosen from the wider Asia and Pacific regions and one each from Australia.

“The IAS is extremely pleased to partner with the City of Melbourne, the State Government of Victoria, the Federal Government of Australia and with various scientific and community leaders from the host country as well as from Asia and the Pacific with a long and impressive history of leadership on HIV,” said IAS President-elect and Nobel Laureate Prof. Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, Director of the Regulation of Retroviral Infections Unit at the Institute Pasteur in Paris and International Conference Chair for AIDS 2014.

“As the region with the largest geographic area and population, dramatically varying levels of wealth, and a complex mix of structural and behavioural determinants of risk, experts from the region have a unique perspective on the epidemic. Hosting AIDS 2014 in Melbourne will make it possible for these experts to attend the conference and share their successes and challenges on a global level,” added Prof. Barré-Sinoussi.

Prof. Sharon Lewin, Director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at the Alfred Hospital, Professor of Medicine at Monash University and co-head, Centre for Virology at the Burnet Institute in Melbourne, has been named Local Co-chair of AIDS 2014. Lewin is a former President of the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine (ASHM), the peak Australasian organization representing the medical and health sector in HIV, viral hepatitis and related areas.

“The Australian health policy response to HIV has been characterized as emerging from the grassroots rather than top-down, with a high degree of partnership between scientists, government and community. AIDS 2014 will be a great opportunity to share the benefits of such partnerships with other countries,” said Prof. Sharon Lewin.

“The Australian government also has a strong international development strategy for HIV, with particular focus on Papua New Guinea (PNG), East and South Asia and the Pacific Islands. As well as focusing international attention on Australia’s national response, the conference will highlight the diverse HIV epidemic patterns and responses in the Asia Pacific region and has the potential to positively impact the HIV responses throughout the whole region,” added Prof. Lewin.

AIDS 2014 will be held in July at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Melbourne has a long history in staging successful major events and conferences, is constantly adding to its infrastructure and has an established reputation as one of the world's leading business events destinations.

“We are excited about welcoming the world’s top HIV scientists and policy experts to Melbourne,” said Karen Bolinger, CEO of the Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau (MCVB). “This is the largest medical conference ever to be held in Australia and is a testament to the country’s deserved reputation as a leader in HIV/AIDS research. Hosting AIDS 2014 in Melbourne will not only have a positive health and social impact on the state of Victoria, but is also expected to generate approximately US$84 million for the Victorian state economy.”

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), in 2009 an estimated 4.9 million people in Asia were living with HIV, including 360,000 who became newly infected that year. The overall trends in this region hide important variation in the epidemics, both between and within countries. Most national HIV epidemics appear to have stabilized and no country in the region has a generalized epidemic. However, in many countries in the region, the epidemic is concentrated in a relatively small number of provinces. Injecting drug users, men who have sex with men and sex workers and their clients have accounted for most of the new infections, and ongoing transmission to the female partners of drug users and the clients of sex workers is becoming apparent.

The HIV epidemic in the Pacific region is small, but the number of people living with HIV in this region nearly doubled between 2001 and 2009—from 28,000 to 57,000. However, the number of people newly infected with HIV has begun to decline from 4,700 in 2001 to 4,500 in 2009. The HIV epidemics in this region are mainly driven by sexual transmission.

In July 2012, the International AIDS Conference will be held in Washington, D.C, and the previous International AIDS Conference was held in Vienna, Austria in 2010. With more than 2,500 international journalists expected to attend the conference next year, it is the single most widely covered health event in the world.

Melbourne was selected to host AIDS 2014 following an evaluation of candidate cities by the IAS in consultation with its international partners. Candidate cities were evaluated by the IAS Governing Council according to three criteria: impact on the epidemic, sufficient infrastructure, and freedom of movement and travel for people living with HIV and AIDS. According to a policy of non-discrimination first adopted by the IAS Governing Council in 1992, the Society will not hold its conferences in countries that restrict short term entry of people living with HIV and AIDS, and/or require prospective HIV-positive visitors to declare their HIV status on visa application forms or other documentation required for entry into the country.

AIDS 2014 Organizers

Convened by
International AIDS Society (IAS)

International Partners

    UNAIDS, including its co-sponsors
    International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW)
    International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO)
    Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+)
    Sidaction

Local/Regional Partners from Australia and Asia Pacific - will be appointed in 2012

About the IAS

The International AIDS Society (IAS) is the world's leading independent association of HIV professionals, with over 16,000 members from more than 196 countries working at all levels of the global response to AIDS. Our members include researchers from all disciplines, clinicians, public health and community practitioners on the frontlines of the epidemic, as well as policy and programme planners. The IAS is the custodian of the biennial International AIDS Conference, which will be held in Washington, D.C., in July 2012, and lead organizer of the IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention.

For general enquiries:
Email: info@iasociety.org
Tel: +41 22 710 0800

For more information:
Sian Bowen (Geneva, Switzerland)
Senior Manager, Communications
Email: Sian.Bowen@iasociety.org
Tel: +41 22 710 0864

Lindsey Rodger (Geneva, Switzerland)
Communications and Media Officer
Email: Lindsey.Rodger@iasociety.org
Tel: +41 22 710 0822  
  • SOURCE: www.iasociety.org | www.aids2012.org