Location: Temeke district in Dar es Salaam

Situation:
Despite a fall in the growth of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which today affects 6.5% of the Tanzanian population, people who use drugs particularly in Dar es Salaam are worryingly susceptible to the virus. This group is particularly stigmatised and has no access to healthcare. Against this backdrop, Doctors of the World has launched a harm reduction project with Tanzanian institutions and the local community.

As elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, the underlying factors of poverty, migration, marginalization, lack of information and poor access to services raises the risk of HIV/AIDS spreading further. This project has opened a drop-in centre to provide quality prevention services and allow access to testing and counselling by building the capacity of the existing local services.

Beneficiaries:
400

Results:
A team of street outreach workers has been established. A workshop with 50 participants was held to launch the project and a mapping exercise of locations that drug users use to inject was carried out.

Outlook:

Long term project.

In 2011, Doctors of the World plans a rapid evaluation of the drug users' practices and experiences. The project will also make harm reduction equipment and information available, provide HIV and hepatitis screening, and enable access to medical and social services. Particular attention will be paid to the needs of female injecting drug users.

See our video on the project here.