Goodwill Ambassador Danny Glover visits HIV/AIDS programs in Tanzania

Danny Glover, UNICEF Ambassador and famous actor, traveled to Tanzania in July 2009 to support HIV testing efforts, counseling for PMTCT (prevention of mother-to-child transmission) and the fight against stigma in the country. Mr. Glover’s brother is HIV positive, and Mr. Glover sees the need for youth support clinics, testing, and a reduction in stigma. He also supports PMTCT efforts and the ongoing support for pregnant women who are HIV positive, including the involvement of their husbands or boyfriends.

During his visit to Tanzania, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Danny Glover talks with a mother who has brought a child to a clinic and is waiting to be attended by a nurse.

Mr. Glover met with youth from the Zanzibar Association of People Living with HIV and AIDS and talked with people from the Zanzibar Youth Education Development and Environment Support Association, who provide a range of support services. Mr. Glover said that HIV stigma is “one of the most damaging” factors at work in Tanzania. We feel that this is true across the world, and we couldn’t agree more.

Read the full article here.

Advertisement

Club Raises Awareness for Disaffected Children in Tanzania

This article, published in the Arizona Daily Wildcat (the newspaper for the University of Arizona), discusses an international service trip similar to AIDSTanzania at William and Mary. It’s called Support for International Change, and it sends groups of students to Tanzania to promote HIV testing and awareness in northern Tanzania.

As one group member described, the trips are like a study abroad experience, except you’re volunteering as a member of the community and getting involved with helping others, as opposed to just looking. That sums it up quite well. Keep up the good work, Support for International Change!

HIV Awareness Campaign Yields Results in Tanzanian Village

None of the 2,500 out of 15,000 villagers in Rusaba Village, Kasulu District, Kigoma Region, tested positive for HIV this year between July and September. Local health workers had never come upon such results. They attribute it to an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign conducted by Tanzania Red Cross and Action Aid International, low interaction between villagers and outsiders, and close-knit family structures.

Depending on the size and diversity of the population tested, HIV infection rates can appear distorted. AIDSTanzania, for example, has tested in rural villages during our trips to the Arusha area. In one village, of 100 people tested there were zero positive tests. At face value this is great news. However, a number of factors could be at play: HIV-positive people who know of their infection are usually not going to get tested again; those who suspect they have HIV are afraid to come forward and get tested; and with only 100 tests available, tests go to the aware individuals who show up early because they are already thinking about HIV prevention.

Because the testing in Rusaba Village was of 2,500 of 15,000 people over a period of a few months, we can be confident that it was a representative sample of villagers. These results, and the influential HIV awareness campaign, are something to keep in mind as we work to prevent HIV, encourage testing, and spread education.

AMREF Launches ‘Angaza Zaidi’

The Arusha Times

The Angaza Zaidi program aims to address the issue of HIV/AIDS in Tanzania.  As stressed by president Jakaya Kikwete, one of the main issues is testing – if people know their status, the government can help them and everyone can prevent new infections.  Apparently over 5 million people have been tested in Tanzania since 2007, making it one of the world’s leading testing countries.

It is good to see that our programs are aligning with those of AMREF (African Medical and Research Foundation) and that testing is becoming a huge priority in Tanzania.  Hopefully the Angaza Zaidi program and AIDSTanzania can work together in the future.

Here’s the full article.

Free HIV Testing Event

Know Your Status

On Saturday, April 25 our group is hosting a FREE HIV testing event at the College of William and Mary!

The testing will be provided by WAN (Williamsburg AIDS Network), and will be confidential in the James Room upstairs in the Sadler Center.  There will be entertainment by Passing Notes, Reveille, John Kelly and the Quick Snipes, Irish Dance Club, Clayton Perry, and more in Lodge 1 throughout the day, as well as showings of our documentary.  We will also be selling our jewelry from Tanzania.

The test WAN is using is a rapid test, meaning it only takes 20 minutes for the results and it just takes a cheek swab!

KNOW YOUR STATUS

Metro TeenAIDS

One of our members heard of an organization in D.C. that did HIV/AIDS education, outreach, and testing for young people.  Since their work mirrors that of our own in Tanzania and we are looking for a domestic model, we thought we’d check them out.  This is their site – they do a lot of great work.  Even though our domestic trip this winter will probably be to Petersburg, VA, we can still learn a lot form Metro TeenAIDS.

http://www.metroteenaids.org/

HIV Testing In The Bronx

An interesting early look at a proposed campaign to provide HIV testing throughout the NY borough with the highest AIDS-related death rate; made possible, in part, due to decreased barriers to testing in hospitals.    

New World Health Report on AIDS Treatment

According to a new joint report by the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and UNAIDS, nearly 3 million people worldwide are receiving anti-retroviral therapy, partially due to increased demand from testing and outreach efforts.