LITAMO has implemented health interventions including HIV / AIDS prevention, care and support at Mkuyuni and Igogo squatter areas of Nyamagana District and poverty reduction / alleviation through fish farming and environmental sanitation project in Sengerema District of Mwanza region.
In 2003 to 2007, LITAMO was owning a dispensary which was situated in Igogo ward of Mwanza City Council by providing curative, prevention and counseling services to individuals and households affected by HIV / AIDS. A total of 200 People living with HIV / AIDS and 300 Orphans were benefiting free intervention services from this dispensary.
In 2008 to 2015 investigation shows that places of Mkuyuni and Igogo wards are being among of eleven wards, which comprise Nyamagana District. The places are populated whereby people are poor of poorest. The areas are subjected to diarrhea and HIV / AIDS. LITAMO has also developed Community Home Based Care (CHBC) as an integral part of Community Based Home Care (CBHC). We have more than 120 orphans and vulnerable Children (OVC) due to being lost one or both parents because of HIV / AIDS, natural parents’ death, parents’ disappearance, other diseases and so forth at Mkuyuni and Igogo wards. Also, there are more than 200 infected person with HIV / AIDS both wards in Mwanza City Council. LITAMO has 10 providers as counselors. Community Participation has been our way of approach in identification of persons with chronic conditions and selection of community providers.
Mkuyuni and Igogo wards are prone to HIV / AIDS and STIs infection due to high social interactions among indigenous people and new comers seeking economic opportunities in Mwanza City Council. As both wards being situated along a highway toDar Es SalaamandGreat Lakesregion. They have marked increase in number of high risk areas such as bars, guest houses and; make shift market and industries / fish processing plants with 150 employees.
On the other hand, increased poverty within households’ impacts access to quality care and support services to orphans and vulnerable Children (OVC) and People Living with HIV / AIDS both wards. Furthermore, gender inequality, stigma and discrimination of PLWHAs, widows and orphans fuels denial in accessing user-friendly community care and support services.
In Mwanza City Council, Sekou Toure Regional Hospital and Bugando Medical Center provides voluntary counseling and testing services as well as treatment of opportunistic diseases. The existing twenty governments owned dispensaries experience inadequacy in provision of user friendly medical care and support for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), PLWHAs, and widows as are to be referred to theSekouToureRegionalHospitalandBugandoMedicalCenter. Despite the fact that Mwanza City Council has orphans and vulnerable Children (OVC) and HIV / AIDS Civil Society Organizations engaged in prevention through peer education, the provision of user-friendly medical care and support is inadequate.
In view to the above challenge, LITAMO is proposing to implement a programme that will specifically contribute towards improving health status of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), PLWHAs and widows through access to quality moral support, materials and medical care.