Watu wa Marekani washirikiana na Watanzania katika vita dhidi ya VVU/UKIMWI

Ambassador Alfonso Lenhardt launching the "Get Back to Treatment" campaign with Iringa Regional Commissioner Dr. Christine Ishengoma in September. Launched in Iringa in September 2012 and sponsored by the American People, the goal of the campaign was to reach out to and find the missing People Living with HIV(PLHIV) who had stopped treatment and bring those patients back to treatment.  (Photo courtesy of Robert Kiata of Omni Studios)

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Na Balozi Alfonso E. Lenhardt

Tarehe 1 Disemba ya kila mwaka, jumuiya ya kimataifa huadhimisha siku ya UKIMWI duniani. Hii ni siku ya kutafakari kuhusu maisha yaliyopotea, na maisha yaliyobadilika milele kutokana na UKIMWI. Siku hii inatupa fursa ya kuwakumbuka zaidi ya watu milioni 34 wanaoishi na VVU duniani kote. Hali kadhalika, leo tunaadhimisha maisha yaliyookolewa na kuboreshwa nchini Tanzania na kukazia dhamira yetu ya kupambana na UKIMWI.

Aidha, tunatambua maendeleo makubwa yaliyofikiwa duniani katika kipindi cha miaka 30 iliyopita kutokana na tafiti mbalimbali na mbinu za kisayansi zinazotumika katika mapambano haya. Tarehe 23 Julai 2012, Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje wa Marekani Bibi. Clinton alitangaza kuwa Mpango wa Dharura wa Rais wa Marekani wa Kukabiliana na UKIMWI (PEPFAR) utaandaa mpango utakaoainisha awamu ijayo ya ushiriki wa Marekani katika jitihada za kimataifa za kukabiliana na UKIMWI. "Kwa upande wetu, mpango wa PEPFAR utaendelea kuwa kitovu cha utekelezaji wa azma yetu ya dhati ya kuona kuwa tunakuwa na kizazi kisicho na UKIMWI … Tungependa bunge letu lijalo la Congress, Waziri wetu wa Mambo ya Nje ajaye na wabia wetu wote wa hapa nyumbani na kote duniani wapate picha ya mambo yote tuliyojifunza na mpango utakaoonyesha mchango wetu katika kufikia azma ya kuwa na kizazi kisicho na UKIMWI,” alisema Bibi Clinton. 

Mojawapo kati ya mambo tuliyojifunza ni kwamba sote tuna wajibu wa kushughulikia  masuala ya kimataifa yanayohusu afya  na kwamba hakuna nchi yoyote inayoweza kupambana na UKIMWI peke yake. Ili kufanikiwa katika mapambano hayo ni muhimu kwa nchi kufanya kazi na wabia kama vile PEPFAR na mashirika ya kimataifa kama  Mfuko wa Kimataifa wa Kupambana na UKIMWI, Kifua Kikuu na Malaria (Global Fund). Kwa pamoja PEPFAR na Global Fund ziliwasaidia zaidi ya asilimia 70 ya watu wote walio katika matibabu ya kupunguza makali ya VVU/UKIMWI katika nchi zinazoendelea katika mwaka 2011.

Hapa Tanzania, ni lazima tuendelee kushirikiana katika kuongeza jitihada zetu dhidi ya VVU na UKIMWI. Kila mmoja wetu -- viongozi wa serikali, sekta binafsi, mashirika ya kimataifa, mashirika ya kiraia na mashirika ya kidini -- ana wajibu katika jitihada hizi. Hatua ya kuiwezesha nchi yenyewe kuchukua uongozi wa programu za kukabiliana na VVU/UKIMWI ni muhimu sana katika kuhakikisha uendelevu wa programu hizo. 

 

Kwa kupitia PEPFAR, Marekani itafanya kazi kwa karibu na Tanzania katika kujenga uwezo wake wa kuongoza, kutekeleza na hatimaye kubeba gharama zote za mapambano dhidi ya UKIMWI kwa kutumia fedha kutoka serikalini, mashirika huru ya kiraia na sekta binafsi ya Tanzania.  Hii inaoana na Azimio la Abuja la Mwaka 2001 linalozitaka nchi wananchama wa Umoja wa Afrika kutenga angalau asilimia 15 ya bajeti zao za taifa kwa ajili ya sekta ya afya. Marekani imedhamiria kwa dhati kuendeleza ushirikiano wake na Tanzania inapoelekea katika kufikia azma hii.

Katika kipindi cha miezi 12 iliyopita, Tanzania imepiga hatua kubwa katika mapambano dhidi ya UKIMWI na Marekani ikiwa na fahari kubwa kusaidia jitihada hizo. Hivi sasa Marekani, kwa kupitia PEPFAR inatoa msaada wa dawa za kupunguza makali ya virusi vya UKIMWI kwa zaidi ya watu 364,000 - wanaume, wanawake na watoto. 

 

Katika mwaka wa fedha 2012 pekee, PEPFAR kwa kupitia programu mbalimbali za utoaji matibabu, matunzo na ushauri nasaha iliweza kuwasaidia zaidi ya watu milioni 1.2 nchini Tanzania wakiwemo watoto yatima na walio katika mazingira magumu zaidi ya 526,000. Aidha, programu hizo zimewawezesha akinamama wajawazito milioni 1.1 kupata huduma  ya upimaji wa VVU na ushauri nasaha kwa lengo la kuzuia maambukizi toka kwa mama kwenda kwa mtoto.

Mafanikio haya yanayodhihirishwa na maisha ya mamilioni ya watu yaliyookolewa ni makubwa, hata hivyo bado kuna kazi kubwa mbele yetu. Tunatumia maendeleo ya sayansi ili kuhakikisha kuwa tunatumia rasilimali tulizonazo kwa ufanisi na tija zaidi ili tuweze kupata matokeo makubwa zaidi na hivyo kuokoa maisha ya watu wengi zaidi.  Mathalan, tafiti zinaonyesha kuwa tohara kwa wanaume inaweza kupunguza uwezekano wa maambukizi ya VVU kwa wanaume kwa zaidi ya asilimia 60. 

 

Kutokana na hali hiyo, PEPFAR katika miaka mitatu iliyopita imeongeza mara nane mchango wake katika programu ya kuhamasisha tohara ya hiari kwa wanaume nchini Tanzania. Eneo lingine muhimu ni lile la kuzuia maambukizi kutoka kwa mama kwenda kwa mtoto ambapo PEPFAR imeweza kusaidia kutolewa kwa dawa za kuzuia maambukizi hayo kwa karibu asilimia 90 ya wanawake wajawazito waliobainika kuwa na VVU jambo ambalo limeweza kulinda afya ya mama na mtoto.

Tunapoangalia mbele, Marekani itaendelea kufanya kazi kwa karibu na Tanzania na wabia wake ili kuwa na mipango na shughuli za muda mrefu za kukabiliana na janga hili zitakazookoa maisha ya watu wengi zaidi. Katika kuadhimisha siku hii ya UKIMWI duniani, watu wa Marekani wanathibitisha tena dhamira yao ya dhati ya kushirikiana na Watanzania katika kufikia maono ya pamoja ya kuwa na Tanzania isiyo na VVU.
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Alfonso E. Lenhardt ni Balozi wa Marekani katika Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania

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American People Partner with Tanzanians Against HIV/AIDS
 

By Ambassador Alfonso E. Lenhardt

Every year on December 1, the global community commemorates World AIDS Day.  It is a day to reflect on lives lost, and lives forever changed, as a result of AIDS.  It is also an opportunity to pay tribute to more than 34 million people living with HIV worldwide.  Today, we celebrate those lives saved and improved in Tanzania and recommit to the fight against AIDS.

We also acknowledge the tremendous progress the world has made in the last 30 years through research and scientific innovations in this fight. On July 23, 2012 United States Secretary of State Clinton announced that the United States President's Plan For Emergency AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) would deliver a blueprint for the next phase of U.S. efforts on global AIDS “For our part, PEPFAR will remain at the center of America’s commitment to an AIDS-free generation… We want the next Congress, the next Secretary of State, and all of our partners here at home and around the world to have a clear picture of everything we’ve learned and a roadmap that shows what we will contribute to achieving an AIDS-free generation.” 

One of our lessons learned is that global health is a shared responsibility and that no country can fight AIDS alone. To succeed, it is essential that countries work together with partners such as PEPFAR and multilateral organizations like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Together, PEPFAR and the Global Fund supported over 70% of all persons on antiretroviral treatment in developing countries worldwide in 2011.

Here in Tanzania, we must continue to work together to increase our efforts in the response to HIV and AIDS.  Everyone -- government leadership, the private sector, multilateral organizations, civil society, and faith-based organizations -- has a role to play. Progress toward country leadership of HIV/AIDS programs is essential for gains to be sustainable in the long term. Through PEPFAR, the United States is working closely with Tanzania to build the country’s capacity to lead, implement, and eventually pay wholly for its AIDS response with funding from the Tanzanian government, civil society and the private sector.  This coincides with the 2001 Abuja Declaration in which African Union countries pledged to increase government funding for health to at least 15% of the national budget. The United States is committed to our partnership with Tanzania as it moves in this direction.

Over the last 12 months, Tanzania has made good progress in the fight against AIDS, with the United States proud to play a supporting role. In Tanzania, the United States through PEPFAR is currently supporting life-saving antiretroviral treatment for over 364,000 men, women and children.  In fiscal year 2012 alone, PEPFAR directly supported more than 1.2 million people in Tanzania with care and support programs, including more than 526,000 orphans and vulnerable children. Also, its efforts around prevention of mother-to-child transmission programs have allowed more than 1.1 million pregnant women to be reached with HIV testing and counseling.

This progress, evidenced by millions of lives saved, is remarkable, but there is more to do.  We are using scientific advances to focus our resources as effectively and efficiently as possible and to maximize the impact of our investments and save more lives.  For example, studies have shown that male circumcision can diminish acquisition of HIV for men by over 60%.  Therefore PEPFAR has increased its contribution to voluntary medical male circumcision in Tanzania eight-fold over the last three years.  Prevention of mother-to-child transmission is another significant area of focus, whereby PEPFAR support has succeeded in providing prophylaxis to almost 90% of pregnant women identified as HIV-positive - protecting the health of both the mother and her child.

As we look to the future, the United States will continue to work closely with Tanzania and its partners to move toward a long-term response that saves even more lives. On this World AIDS Day, the American people reaffirm our partnership with Tanzanians in our common vision to work towards a Tanzania free of HIV.
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Alfonso E. Lenhardt is the Ambassador of the United States of America to the United Republic of Tanzania