Sunday 15 February 2009

Northern Zone nears HIV/Aids free zone

From IPPMedia, Dar es Salaam
By Adam Ihucha

The latest figures from the Tanzania Commission of Aids (Tacaids) show that HIV prevalence has fallen throughout the country and significantly in the northern highlands over the last five years, but the rate of infection has gone up, and in one case more than doubled, in Mara, Shinyanga and Iringa regions.

The rate of HIV infection fell most dramatically in Kilimanjaro region, where 7.3 percent of people were infected in 2003-04 and only 1.9 percent infected in 2007-08.

The prevalence of the virus also dropped in the northern regions of Arusha and Manyara, though less precipitously.

In Arusha, HIV prevalence dropped from 5.3 percent to 2.0 percent over the five years, and in Manyara it dropped from 1.6 percent to 1.5 percent.

Other notable declines include Mtwara region, where the rate dropped from 7.4 percent to 3.6 percent, and Mwanza region, where it fell from 7.2 percent to 5.6 percent.

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