U.S. Government Hands Over Medical Equipment and Supplies to the Tanzania Police Force

 The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with John Snow Inc. and Project C.U.R.E handed over TZS 2 billion worth of medical goods and equipment to the Tanzania Police Force today at Dar es Salaam’s Kilwa Road Police Hospital Grounds. Donations include modern hospital beds, operating tables, ultrasound machines and surgical instruments, all of which will be distributed among 26 police health facilities supported by the USAID AIDSFree Strengthening Police and Prison Comprehensive HIV Services Project.

The AIDSFree Project is currently servicing over 10,000 HIV-positive individuals on sustained antiretroviral therapy, in addition to providing medical services to police staff, their families, and surrounding communities. Through this support, the United States Government continues to show its commitment to a comprehensive approach to strengthening health systems in Tanzania. The AIDSFree Project, which has been working in Tanzania since 2015, aims to improve the quality of comprehensive HIV and TB prevention, treatment, care, and support services delivered at police and prison health care facilities in mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. This support contributes to the objectives of the Tanzania National Multi-Sectoral Strategic Framework for HIV and AIDS (2013/14–2017/18).

To date, AIDSFree has built capacity of approximately 1,000 health care providers on various aspects of HIV provision through on-the- job trainings and clinical attachments. In partnership with the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children and local government authorities, the project has implemented policies, guidelines, standard operating procedures, and various tools to further improve service provision within police health facilities.

These efforts have also provided infrastructural support through the procurement and installation of air conditioning units in medicine storage facilities to ensure the quality and efficacy of medicines and medical supplies. The quality and availability of data has also been improved through the provision of computers for data entry and analysis. Due to these improvements, the health facilities have witnessed an increase of patient flows and improved access to quality health services of police officers, their families, and surrounding communities.

AIDSFree is a five-year cooperative agreement funded through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) by the U.S. Agency for International Development. AIDSFree is implemented by JSI Research and Training Institute, Inc., with support from partners including Abt Associates Inc., Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, EnCompass LLC, IMA World Health, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Jhpiego Corporation, and PATH.

AIDSFree supports and advances the implementation of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in 12 countries by providing capacity development and technical support to USAID missions, host-country governments, and HIV implementers at the local, regional, and national level.