Trends in HIV/AIDS Voluntary Testing in Tanzania: A Case of Njombe Urban, Njombe Region
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Date
2011-11-11
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Abstract
This article presents and analyzes status and trends for people who were voluntarily tested for HIV/AIDS infections
in Njombe Town Council in Njombe region. The analysis covers five year period between 2007 and 2011. This
period was specifically chosen because it was in July 2007 that the government of Tanzania inaugurated a campaign
for HIV/AIDS voluntary counselling and testing. Nevertheless, trends for the people who are using Voluntary
Counselling and Testing (VCT) centres and the associated results regarding HIV/AIDS infections are not clearly
established. The article utilizes data collected from three Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centres in
Njombe Urban. Percentages of people infected with HIV/AIDS were computed using a calculator. Findings
demonstrate that the number and percentages of people who were voluntarily tested for HIV/AIDS was increasing
suggesting that over time more and more people were using voluntary testing and counselling centres (VCT).
Interestingly, while the number of people visiting VCT centres revealed increasing trend, HIV/AIDS infections
showed decreasing trend over the years for all of the VCT centres under consideration. Notwithstanding decreasing
trend for HIV/AIDS infections, many people were living with HIV/AIDS particularly women. Overall, infections
accounted for 6.5% at Njombe Health Centre higher than at Njombe Lutheran VCT centre and at Kibena Hospital,
where both recorded 5.1% of people infected with HIV/AIDS. Controlling new cases for HIV/AIDS infections will
help to re-direct resources to development initiatives at all levels. Therefore, concerted efforts are needed to curb
further HIV/AIDS infections in Njombe urban and in Tanzania more generally.
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Keywords
HIV/AIDS, Infection trends, Urban Tanzania