PrEP puts brighter future for youth at risk of HIV infection

31Oct 2023
Felister Peter
Mbarali
Features
The Guardian
PrEP puts brighter future for youth at risk of HIV infection

MARIAM Kawawa (33), a mother of two who works as barmaid at one of the biggest bars at Mbalizi in Mbarali District, Mbeya Region considers herself as a hero after two years of using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV.

Kawawa says being a barmaid exposes her to the virus because she comes across a number of men who want to have unprotected sex with her.

“I face a number of challenges during my work including most customers being in need of unprotected sex. I do agree because I need money to feed my two children and care of other family members,” narrates Kawawa who considers herself as a hero after being able to convince more than six fellow women to start using the HIV preventive drugs.

 

Kawawa is among the 1,864 women and adolescent girls who receive pre-exposure prophylaxis in Utengule-Usongwe, Nsalala, Iwindi, Igale and Bonde la Songwe wards in Mbarali Rural District.

 

Kawawa recounted that in September 2021 she met a peer educator from Save Tanzania (SETA) who educated her on the importance of going for HIV tests as well as taking pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV infection.

 

“I agreed to take the HIV test and my results were negative. I started using the drugs the same month; after six months of using the drugs, I was tested for HIV and the results were negative. I now continue taking the drugs and I don’t fear engaging in unprotected sex,” Kawawa said as she commends the Henry Jackson Foundation Military Research International (HJFMRI) and the U.S government’s President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) for providing the medicines for free.

 

Apart from having good adherence to PrEP medications, Kawawa has inspired almost six women at the Mbalizi area to use the drugs to be safe and protect themselves from being infected with HIV.

 

Agnes Sanjes, peer educator from SETA in Mbalizi, Mbarali Rural District said: “We provide education to key and vulnerable populations including sex workers and adolescent girls aged between 18 and 24 years. We educate them on the importance of testing and using PrEP. Those who are diagnosed positive are referred to Mbalizi Designated District Hospital for medications which include being enrolled for antiretroviral (ARV) treatment.

 

Key and vulnerable populations are at a higher risk of acquiring HIV infection. In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as part of combination prevention for people at substantial risk of acquiring HIV infection due to risky behaviors.

 

Data shows that adolescent girls and young women account for 74 percent of new HIV infections among all adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa and nearly 1,000 of them were infected with HIV every day.

 

Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu was recently quoted saying that 96 percent of Tanzanians living with HIV infection are aware of their health condition and that 98 percent of people living with HIV in the country use ARVs.

 

According to UNAIDS, the countries of Botswana, Eswatini, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe have reached the goal of '95-95-95' targets for ending AIDS by 2030.

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