On the Ground with Tanzania ' s National Test and Treat Campaign

October 29, 2018To make HIV services available to more Tanzanians, we go where the clients go.“I am waiting for my younger brother to take me home,” Jagad Mabula tells me.He has just received an HIV test and circumcision services at Tinde Health Centre in Tanzania ’s Shinyanga Region and is now sitting on a bench as he waits.Jagad, 24, spent about three hours riding a bicycle from Mwamanyuda village —where he lives with his wife and two children—to this facility to undergo voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC). The procedure will reduce his risk of acquiring HIV through heterosexual intercourse by about 60%. It’s a busy Saturday, and the national HIV “Test and Treat” campaign is being launched here in Shinyanga region.“My brother told me that male circumcision services would be available here,” Jagad says. “He heard the announcement through the public-address system and from village leaders. Despite the distance, I had to come, because I missed the previous circumcision campaigns that happened nearby. "Jagad Mabula is one of over 1 million clients who ' ve received VMMC services through IntraHealth-supported sites and campaigns since 2010. Photo courtesy of Mary Goodluck Mndeme for IntraHealth International.IntraHealth International ’sToharaPlus team installed tents to provide information on VMMC services at the Test and Treat campaign grounds. Those who wished to be circumcised were referred to nearby Tinde Health Centre. The launch is among a se...
Source: IntraHealth International - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: news