Tanzanian Opposition Leaders Take HIV Tests to Encourage Others to be Tested

Leaders of Tanzania's opposition Civic United Front party yesterday took HIV tests at the nation's largest AIDS referral hospital and promised to make the results public as part of an effort to encourage Tanzanians to get tested, Reuters reports. CUF National Chair Ibrahim Lipumba and Secretary-General Shariff Ahmed said they expect to have the test results "within the next few days." Lipumba added that when they receive the results, "whether they are negative or positive, we will make sure Tanzanians know," explaining that the men were "issuing a challenge to all party members and all Tanzanians to go and be tested." Members of Parliament were asked last year to voluntarily get tested at the launch of the Tanzanian Parliamentary AIDS Coalition. However, only 40% of members agreed to be tested. The National AIDS Control Council and the Ministry of Health estimate that nearly two million Tanzanians over the age of 15 have HIV/AIDS (Reuters, 1/9).