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Building Effective Champions for Improved AIDS Policies in Tanzania   
July 30, 2009—The AIDS crisis continues to pose a threat to women and their families in Tanzania. Despite an almost 50 percent drop in the HIV infection rate, which now averages seven percent across the population, it is still as high as 15.6 percent in certain regions of the country. As in most of sub-Saharan Africa, women ages 15-49 are the most at-risk population in Tanzania and have the highest rates of HIV infection. The country of 38 million people faces many challenges in fighting the epidemic, with an overstretched health care system that is further strained by the additional burden of HIV and AIDS. In addition, stigma and discrimination against those living with HIV, and widespread poverty, prevent individuals from seeking and receiving voluntary counselling, testing, treatment and care. Within the country, leaders like the Honorable Lediana Mafuru Mng'ong'o are working to address these challenges. She founded the Tanzania Parliamentarians AIDS Coalition (TAPAC) in 2001 to mobilize, educate and empower members of Tanzania's parliament at the national and grassroots levels towards a more effective national response in the AIDS fight. Coalition efforts have led to important policy changes within the country, including the passage of the landmark HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 2008, which protects the rights of people living with HIV. It outlines a legal framework for a coordinated, multisectoral HIV response. The USAID|Health Policy Initiative (HPI) works with TAPAC to improve Tanzania's response to the HIV/AIDS crisis. Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, HPI focuses on improving the enabling environment for health, especially family planning/reproductive health, HIV and AIDS, and maternal health. CEDPA is a key partner on HPI-Tanzania, as part of a team contracted to carry out the initiative led by Futures Group International. Most recently, CEDPA led a three-day workshop, July 3-5 in Dodoma, Tanzania, for TAPAC. More than 35 parliamentarians committed to increasing their leadership around HIV/AIDS participated in sessions that included:
The parliamentarians discussed a number of strategies to ensure TAPAC's sustainability, including the possibility of strengthening the coalition with permanent paid staff. They noted that the current volunteer structure of their coalition makes it especially difficult to maintain consistent momentum on their AIDS agenda, particularly during election season. The July workshop also included sessions on grants management in advance of a new mini-grants program that USAID|Health Policy Initiative will support within selected parliamentarians’ districts that have high HIV prevalence. While national policy change is critical, TAPAC members recognize the role of parliamentarians as community leaders. Their leadership and influence makes them effective champions in speaking out against stigma and discrimination, and also in mobilizing their communities against HIV/AIDS. For this reason, TAPAC and USAID|Health Policy Initiative are focusing on strengthening efforts at the district level. The new grants program will be piloted by 10 members of Parliament and will fund community organizations within their districts. Many of the grants will focus on increasing knowledge about the recently passed national AIDS Act to ensure that community members understand what services and protections are mandated within the Act. After the workshop, the group of newly energized and motivated parliamentarians rated the three-day training program a success. They left the workshop with a plan to improve the structure of the Tanzania Parliamentarians AIDS Coalition and more effectively carry out their HIV/AIDS activities. The parliamentarians identified increased policy advocacy as a particular area of need, and invited the Health Policy Initiative to conduct another workshop on that topic in the coming year. Learn more about the USAID│Health Policy Initiative and CEDPA’s workshops. 
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