Tanzania’s HIV treatment coverage reaches 1.5 million, says CDC

DAR ES SALAAM: Tanzania has enrolled about 1.5 million people living with HIV on life-saving treatment, a milestone that health officials say has transformed the country’s response to the epidemic. Speaking in an interview with Daily News Digital, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Tanzania Country Director, Dr Mahesh Swaminathan, said the country had become one of Africa’s leading performers in HIV control. According to Dr Swaminathan, around 1.6 million Tanzanians are living with HIV, with the vast majority now receiving treatment. “Without treatment, those people would die,” he said. “Today they are living healthy lives, contributing to society and are unlikely to pass the virus to their loved ones.” He noted that modern HIV treatment has become simpler, with many patients requiring only one pill a day. ALSO READ: Zanzibar records high HIV treatment coverage, treatments The progress follows two decades of collaboration between Tanzania, the CDC and the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Dr Swaminathan described Tanzania’s HIV outcomes as comparable to, and in some cases better than, those achieved in wealthier countries. Despite the gains, he said HIV, tuberculosis and malaria remain among the country’s most important public health challenges and require continued investment. Health experts say sustaining treatment programmes and expanding domestic financing will be critical as international health funding models evolve. The post Tanzania’s HIV treatment coverage reaches 1.5 million, says CDC first appeared on Daily News . The post Tanzania’s HIV treatment coverage reaches 1.5 million, says CDC appeared first on Daily News .