September 14, 2006

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), working through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), presented two motorcycles to Tanzania Red Cross Society (TRCS) who are Pathfinder International’s implementing partner in Home Based Care (HBC) program called “Tutunzane.”

The motorcycles, costing 12,900 USD equiv. TShs.15, 480,000 were handed over by the CDC Country Director Dr. Wiktor Stefan on Thursday, September 14, 2006 to TRCS Secretary General Adam Kimbisa. These motorcycles are for use by District Coordinators in scaling up HBC services in Kilimanjaro and Tanga Regions and they will enable the District Coordinators to get to Community Home Based Care Providers throughout their districts, ensuring that patients identified with chronic illnesses including people living with HIV/AIDS receive quality care.

The need for HBC services in Tanzania has been documented in the current CDC HBC program which is implemented in Dar es Salaam and Arusha and is being expanded to Kilimanjaro and Tanga regions.

The Red Cross will work with Pathfinder to encourage recognition of HIV/AIDS as a community problem that requires a community response, one that fully involves people living with HIV\AIDS in its planning and implementation and contributes to the de stigmatization of HIV/AIDS.

The result of these HBC initiatives will contribute to improved national capacity to ensure availability of continuum of care for PLWHA in the two regions and use these services to promote positive living and as an entry point for Anti-Retroviral therapy programs.