TANZANIA – AMREF Health Africa in Tanzania has kicked off a US$50M health intervention dubbed Afya Kamilifu Project in Mara region in partnership with the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Tanzania.
Afya Kamilifu Project is one of Amref’s health initiatives in Tanzania which will contribute to reducing the country’s high burden of HIV and AIDS and the viral load suppression rate as well as preventing new HIV transmissions among Tanzanians.
The five-year Afya Kamilifu project launched in Mara region encompasses targeted interventions to reach people living with HIV and keep them on treatment, early detection and treatment of tuberculosis (TB), comprehensive HIV testing and expand coverage for HIV and TB medication.
In addition, the Ministry of Health, regional officials, non-governmental and civil society organizations will jointly work to support efforts of Amref’s Afya Kamilifu initiative to support programs in Mara, Tanga, Simiyu and Zanzibar in a move to improve health outcomes in Tanzania.
The health project will also be used to lead Tanzania to achieve the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets, where 95 percent of people living with HIV are aware of their status, 95 percent of those who tested positive are on treatment and 95 percent of those on treatment have desired viral suppression.
Furthermore, the initiative has engaged local government authorities in Mara Region, CDC, Amref Tanzania and other implementing partners such as the University of Maryland- Baltimore and Tanzania Communication and Development Center who will work together to control the HIV epidemic.
The project will also strengthen health systems of linking HIV positive individuals to care and treatment services and ensure the availability of well-functioning laboratory systems and support clinical HIV services in all health facilities.
Country Director of Amref Health Africa Tanzania Dr. Florence Temu reaffirmed that the project will introduce a robust real-time routine HIV data monitoring and reporting system using innovative technology to identify HIV service delivery gaps and improve accordingly.
“The advanced HIV data monitoring and reporting system will ensure prompt availability of accurate and quality data from facility to the national level for decision making and global reporting. These quality data reports would be used to support data management systems at the facility level,” Dr. Florence said.
She further said that the accurate data reports will build capacity for data ownership and improved data management and utilization at facility health care workers and District Health Management Teams with the aim to scale up HIV care and treatment efforts.
Other delegates present at the launch include Tanzanian government officials, CDC Tanzania’s representative, Amref Health Africa Tanzania Management and Staff, civil society organizations, implementing partners, media, development partners, regional religious leaders and the private sector.
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