Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Mail & Guardian Online - February 14, 2007
Island awareness: HIV prevalence on the semi-autonomous Tanzanian island of Zanzibar is on the rise, prompting officials to call for a more targeted response to HIV/Aids.
According to government estimates, HIV figures have increased from 0,6% in 2002 to 0,9% in 2006.
"This is a shocking figure in such a small population. Unfortunately, the most affected group is youths aged between 20 and 49 years," chief minister Shamsi Nahodha said at the recent launch of the first Aids awareness campaign to target young people.
HIV levels are significantly lower than the 7% infection rate on the mainland, but there are concerns that not enough is being done to address Aids on the island.
Asha Abdallah, director of the Zanzibar Aids Commission, said the new statistics were based on antenatal records, and the commission would be conducting a study later in the year to determine HIV prevalence in the general population.
Nahodha said, "It seems the ongoing strategies to control the spread of HIV have not been productive ... we need to review our strategies."
Most workshops and seminars about HIV, he said, took place in urban areas and targeted political leaders rather than the youth and the majority of the population, who lived in rural areas.
Public messages about HIV/Aids and safer sex are rare on the predominantly Muslim island, but the initiative hopes to do away with the reluctance to discuss issues openly.
The United States Agency for International Development Family Health International, a US-based NGO; and the Zanzibari government are supporting the awareness campaign, with coordination by Africare, a non-profit organisation that supports social empowerment.
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