HIV/AIDS, preventable diseases, malnutrition

One of the most disheartening facts about working in Tanzania is the extensive amount of suffering and even death due to diseases that are not only preventable but in many cases also curable.  Furthermore the cost of prevention and treatment is relatively inexpensive.  For example, the cost of diagnosing malaria is 1,000 TSH (= 0.87USD) and treatment is 1,500TSH (=1.3USD).  Although these prices are incredibly low relative to U.S. standards, these prices are in fact equivalent to one days wage for a person in Tanzania. Many Tanzanians are still willing to pay the cost—however, in most cases there is no immediate access to treatment.  The nearest hospital is more than 15 miles away from the Mateves Ward, making the journey a significant hardship for most residents with added public transportation cost.

Knowing that the barriers to treatment can be eliminated make the numbers below completely unjustifiable.  Every Tanzanian Ward is in need of a medical center. This is especially the case for young children whose weakened immune systems are compromised by these diseases.

HIV/AIDS

  • Approximately 2.3 million children under age 15 currently live with HIV. (Global AIDS Alliance)
  • Every 15 seconds, a young adult between the ages of 15 and 24 is infected with HIV. (UNICEF)
  • Less than 5 percent of HIV-positive children under the age of 15 in need of anti-retroviral medicine receive it. (UNICEF)
  • Eighty percent of children with HIV die by age five without treatment (Global AIDS Alliance)
  • Increasing number of Tanzanian children under 5 are living with HIV (Tanzania HIV/AIDS & Malaria Survey)

Preventable Diseases

  • Each year, more than 10 million children in low- and middle-income countries die before reaching their fifth birthday. Seven in 10 of these deaths are due to just five preventable and treatable conditions, or often a combination of them: pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria, measles, and malnutrition. (World Health Organization)
  • More than 150 million episodes of pneumonia occur each year among children under age five in developing countries. Twenty percent of these cases are fatal. (World Health Organization)
  • One in five deaths of children under age five in Africa is attributable to malaria. Malaria kills a child in Africa every 30 seconds. Many children who survive malarial episodes often struggle with learning impairments or brain damage. (Roll Back Malaria)

Malnutrition

  • Every day, more than 16,000 children--one child every five seconds-dies from hunger-related causes. (Bread for the World)