A HIV Counseling and Testing Center at the Mbalizi Tanzania People’s Defense Forces Hospital in Mbeya officially opened after undergoing renovations coordinated by MHRP and PharmAccess International.
On August 7, 2009, a HIV Counseling and Testing Center at the Mbalizi Tanzania People’s Defense Forces Hospital in Mbeya officially opened after undergoing renovations coordinated by MHRP and PharmAccess International.
This is part of the ongoing effort by the Walter Reed Program-Tanzania to renovate more than ten Tanzanian People’s Defense Forces (TPDF) health centers around the country. Representatives from MHRP and the TPDF gathered at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania to inaugurate the latest completion.
One of the main goals of this HIV program with the TPDF is to ensure that all men and women who serve in the Tanzanian army remain HIV-negative throughout their military career. The program at this new center includes training of peer educators and training in life-skills for all recruits.
PEPFAR support for the TPDF includes HIV/AIDS prevention, Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT), counseling and testing, care and treatment, ARTS, enhanced laboratory infrastructure, TB/HIV treatment, community support and policy development. This comprehensive approach serves the 35,000 Tanzanian servicemen and women, as well as thousands of civilians living near military facilities.