Provider-Initiated Testing And Counseling (PITC) Project

While Tanzania has an extensive health care infrastructure, it suffers from chronic shortages and poor distribution of health workers. The capacity of health facilities to care for people living with HIV/AIDS is particularly inadequate. Currently, about 32,000 Tanzanians are receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). The government of Tanzania aims to provide 400,000 of its citizens living with AIDS with ART by 2008.

Reaching this goal will necessitate increasing the availability of HIV testing, raising individuals' knowledge of their HIV status, and moving clients into prevention, care and treatment services. Consequently, the government has made a policy decision to broaden the accessibility of counseling and testing, and to increase the number of people who know their HIV status so that they can take appropriate action to safeguard their status, if negative, and seek care if they are positive.

The Provider-Initiated Testing and Counseling (PITC) Project, awarded to IntraHealth in September 2006, is working to strengthen the capacity of the National AIDS Control Program and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to provide HIV testing and counseling, create an enabling environment to support these services, and strengthen referral networks. The five-year, $2.5 million project is funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In Year 2, IntraHealth began activities at the facility level in three regions (Arusha, Mwanza and Kigoma), where the project is training health providers in nearly every ward of the facilities. In addition, the PITC project will be assisting zonal training centers to develop their capacity to train and support regional and district providers to effectively provide PITC, prevention and care. The project emphasizes the importance of maintaining accurate service statistics and routine monitoring.

The PITC project works closely with Tanzanian governmental organizations, USAID and other US Government agencies, international and local NGOs, donors, and faith-based organizations. This project takes full advantage of the groundwork and relationships the IntraHealth-led Capacity Project has established with the Tanzanian government.

Contact:
Moshi Ntabaye, Project Director
Charambe Street
Plot No. 455 Upanga
PO Box 38450
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania