The Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for Policy, Parliament, Coordination and Persons with Disabilities, Dr Jim Yonazi, has urged young Tanzanians to take greater responsibility for their health and avoid risky behaviour as part of efforts to curb new HIV infections.
Dr Yonazi said young people are among groups that remain particularly vulnerable to HIV and called on them to know their HIV status, protect themselves and others, and seek treatment promptly if they test positive.
He made the call during a working visit to Uvinza District, Kigoma Region, to assess the implementation of HIV and AIDS interventions.
The visit brought together officials from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS), the Ministry of Health, the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), and the Kigoma Regional Secretariat.
During the visit, Dr Yonazi toured the Kazuramimba Ward Knowledge Centre, where he interacted with young people involved in HIV prevention programmes and income-generating activities.
The centre provides information and services related to HIV and AIDS, while youth groups operating there engage in economic activities aimed at improving their livelihoods and reducing dependency.
The chairman of one of the groups, Billy Sekibaha, told Dr Yonazi that members were involved in small businesses, including the sale of dried sardines and tailoring.
The activities, he said, were helping young people generate income while building skills and confidence to become economically self-reliant.
Dr Yonazi commended the group for combining HIV interventions with economic empowerment, saying young people have a critical role in Tanzania’s development.
“You are doing a very good job. Continue using social media platforms to market your products so that you can reach more customers and promote your businesses nationally and internationally,” he said.
He urged young people to make use of available HIV prevention and testing services, stressing that knowing one’s status is an important step towards protecting individual and community health.
Dr Yonazi also encouraged those who test positive to start treatment early and adhere to medical advice, noting that effective treatment helps people living with HIV maintain their health while reducing the risk of transmitting the virus.
The message comes as Tanzania continues to strengthen efforts to prevent new HIV infections, particularly among young people, through health education, testing, treatment and community-based interventions.
For his part, TACAIDS Executive Director Dr Adam Mrisho praised the young people for their initiatives and pledged continued support for their economic empowerment and capacity building.
He said strengthening young people economically and socially was an important component of the wider response to HIV and would help Tanzania move closer to its target of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
The visit underscored the need for HIV prevention programmes to address not only health concerns but also the social and economic challenges that affect young people’s ability to make healthy and informed choices.
