TANZANIA: PM urges open AIDS talk

Tanzania's government has urged parents to help break the silence on HIV/AIDS, the local Daily News newspaper reported on Thursday.

The country's prime minister, Frederick Sumaye, said parents could assist by talking openly with their children about the various modes of HIV transmission and prevention methods.

During a recent nationwide tour, Sumaye described Tanzania's HIV/AIDS crisis as "alarming" and warned that the country faced a similar fate to Zambia, where the pandemic had reduced life expectancy to 36 years.

UNAIDS estimates that 7.8 percent of adults between the ages of 15 and 49 in Tanzania are living with HIV/AIDS.

"It is better to save a child's life than being shy about discussing HIV/AIDS with the family," Sumaye added.

Theme (s): Care/Treatment - PlusNews, Children,

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]