Kili Challenge reduces impact of HIV

Huruma Orphanage Centre director, Sister Adalbera Mukure, speaks at a recent function in Dar es Salaam, where she explained how the Kili Challenge has helped support 137 children at the centre to access education. With her are Emmanuel George (right) and Rosemary Emmanuel (left), who stay at the orphanage. PHOTO | TACAIDS
What you need to know:
Tacaids and mining firm came up with idea to bring together public and private players to support war on Aids
Dar es Salaam. Across the globe, medical scientists are still struggling to develop either a vaccine or a cure for the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (Aids).
However, expanded access to antiretroviral therapy has profoundly lowered the rate of HIV-related deaths in Tanzania and across the globe.
And some of the greatest reversal has been seen in sub-Saharan Africa, the region which accounts for 75 per cent of all HIV infections.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), this positive trend points in the right direction toward reaching the goal of placing the majority of the world’s HIV population on treatment by 2030.
According to the WHO, 39 million people have died of HIV since the beginning of the epidemic out of the 76.3 million, who have been infected (roughly 52 percent).
Moreover, of the 36.9 million people living with HIV today, just over 940,000 died in 2017, a drop of 40 percent from 2013.
According to the Tanzania Commission for Aids (Tacaids), Tanzania has 1.5 million people living with HIV/ Aids, who are equal to 4.7 per cent of the population.
It is estimated that 33,000 people died of HIV-related illnesses in 2017 alone.
Currently, Tanzania has approximately 1.3 million orphaned children due to HIV. The children have lost either one or both parents because of the disease. Due to Aids, the number of child-headed households in Tanzania has also increased significantly in recent years.
Growing up without a family or in a dysfunctional family environment often has serious implications on a child’s mental and physical development. Many orphaned children experience neglect and discrimination.
Intervention
The Geita Gold Mine (GGM), in collaboration with Tacaids, established the Kilimanjaro Challenge, which is an ideal platform to bring together public and private organisations to support initiatives to fight the pandemic.
The Kilimanjaro Challenge aims to raise awareness of the HIV/Aids pandemic, provide financial support to HIV/Aids initiative and build national team spirit in the noble fight that’s also giving local climbers an opportunity to scale Mt. Kilimanjaro.
The funds raised are allocated to Aids research and programmes that support orphanages, hospitals and clinics in an attempt to reduce the impact of the disease on those left behind by deceased parents and relatives. It also helps in the fight against stigma.
Through the Kilimanjaro Challenge, over Sh13 billion has been raised since the initiative was established 18 years ago.
Beneficiaries
Among the beneficiaries are Tacaids and 50 other institutions dealing with the HIV/Aids issues. The campaign has also helped the establishment of Moyo wa Huruma Orphanage Center in Geita, which now serves more than 137 children.
Sr Adalbera Mukure, the manager of Child Care, said that since the center was launched in 2006, it has improved the lives of numerous children, with two having been educated up to university level.
“We are asking for more contributions to facilitate the construction of an English medium school that will enable children to read and even out-of-school children to study and have funds to operate the facility,” she appealed.
Meanwhile, the GGM Vice President for Sustainability, Mr Simon Shayo, added that through the Kilimanjaro campaign, they have succeeded in establishing four centres, which provide Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) services to long-route truck drivers along some of the major highways in Tanzania.
“These centres have been launched through the Kilimanjaro Challenge, which aims to raise awareness on the HIV/Aids pandemic, provide financial support to HIV/Aids initiatives and build national team spirit in this noble fight.