Press Releases
U.S. Ambassador Commemorates International Red Cross Day in Kigoma
May 10, 2007
United States Ambassador Michael Retzer visited Kigoma this week to participate in a town hall meeting to brief American citizens on bilateral relations with Tanzania and take any of their questions. The U.S. Ambassador regularly visits American citizen residents throughout Tanzania, and this visit was one of that ongoing series of visits.
While planning the trip to Kigoma, the Ambassador accepted an invitation to speak at the International Red Cross Day activity taking place at the Sanganigwa Youth Center. The center provides shelter and activities for children living on the street in Kigoma. Every year the American Red Cross chooses a hospital or youth center to donate kits to on Red Cross Day and this year it has chosen Sanganigwa.
The American Red Cross activity included over 400 youth from Kigoma and the surrounding areas. The ceremony focused on honoring the service of blood donors throughout the Kigoma and spreading the message about HIV/AIDS prevention among youth.
The U.S. Government, through the President’s Emergency Fund for Aids Relief (PEPFAR), is supporting two projects through the American Red Cross: the Together We Can initiative and the National Blood Transfusion Service Project. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is the largest international health initiative in history by one nation to address a single disease. Under the Emergency Plan, Tanzania will receive over $200 million dollars in 2007 to support its ongoing comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care programs.
The PEPFAR initiative is on track to meet its final targets of seeing 150,000 individuals on antiretroviral drugs; providing care for 750,000 individuals, including orphans and vulnerable children; and preventing 500,000 new HIV infections.