Tanzania

Helping Tanzania Stop an HIV Epidemic Driven by Injection Drug Use

 Tanzania is poised to become the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to provide comprehensive treatment for both drug addiction and HIV to injection drug users (IDU’s), including a methadone treatment program. Two pilot methadone clinics are scheduled to open in Dar es Salaam in the latter part of 2010 as the first phase of this effort gets underway.

Over the past two years, Pangaea has been assisting the Drug Control Commission (DCC) of Tanzania and the Zanzibar AIDS Control Program (ZACP) with the development of a national framework to address drug dependency and reduce HIV transmission.

It’s estimated that there are at least 25,000 injection drug users in Tanzania and that 40% of the IDU population is HIV positive. So although this group currently accounts for just a fraction of the one million Tanzanians living with HIV, these statistics set off a warning bell for the government.

The Pangaea team, including Dr. Douglas Bruce, a leading international expert in the establishment of harm reduction programs, is assisting in the development of this comprehensive plan for treatment for IDUs, including a guide for screening for and treating addictions in primary health settings. In addition, Pangaea has helped the DCC develop a national guideline for the introduction of methadone, clinical guidelines for its use, standard minimum criteria for health facilities that would provide the methadone, and an operational plan for the full spectrum of services necessary for implementing methadone.

Building Health Worker Capacity in Tanzania

In partnership with Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences and with funding support from the U.S. CDC, Pangaea is supporting the development of a community health worker youth corps curricula which can be standardized and replicated throughout the country.