Uhuru Torch Race Message for the Year 2000 Delivered by the President of the United Republic of Tanzania His Excellency Benjamin William Mkapa, to the Youth of Tanzania Concerning HIV/AIDS, Dar Es Salaam, June 12, 2000

My Dear Young People,

Our country is afflicted with a deadly epidemic of catastrophic proportions in the name HIV/AIDS, which is swiftly destroying the lives of our people, including the youth who are the most dependable resource and the future of our nation. Most of you have heard much about this disease, for which there is no cure and no vaccine to this day.

Some of you who are listening to me have lost parents, relatives, friends and other people close to you, due to HIV/AIDS. I am deeply sorry. I know how painful it is, for I too have lost relatives in this way. Others among you are tending to loved ones suffering from AIDS. I sympathise with you. But it is not enough to be sorry or to commiserate with one another. The whole society must now wake up and fight together against this calamity. Unless we end this conspiracy of silence, all of us, the whole nation, shall perish.

As I was preparing for this address, I asked the National Aids Control Programme to give me the naked facts about the HIV/AIDS situation in our country so that I could in turn pass them on to you in all frankness.

I would like you, the youth, to consider carefully the following facts and statistics.

• Firstly, HIV/AIDS is spreading at a very rapid pace. From the 3 known AIDS cases in 1983, we now have about 600,000 reported cases, let alone those who have already died. Most of these AIDS cases, nearly 86%, are young people aged between 20 and 49.

• Secondly, in 1998 the number of people who were HIV positive, without necessarily showing any symptoms, but who were capable of infecting others, was estimated at 1,630,000.

• Thirdly, 8.5% of men and 11.8% of women who donated blood in 1998 were found to have the HIV virus. This means that for every 100 men, nine are HIV positive; and in every 100 women, twelve have the deadly virus. In some pre-natal clinics, up to 36% of pregnant women are found to be HIV positive.

• Fourthly, on average between 10-12% of people who seek medical attention for various reasons, are found with the HIV virus, even when they show no sign of being infected. In other words, on average, for every 10 Tanzanians, one already carries the HIV virus, and can infect others.

• Fifthly, AIDS is now the leading cause of adult mortality in Dar es Salaam region and in Hai and Morogoro districts. Bed occupancy in main urban hospitals by patients with underlying HIV infection is over 50%.

My Dear Young People,
What these statistics mean is that if there are 10 of you listening to me, it is highly likely that one of you already is infected with the HIV virus. And, even if such a person does not show any symptoms of being sick, he or she is capable of infecting others through unprotected sex or other modes of infection. If there are 100 of you, then at least 10 have the virus, and if you are 1,000, then 100 of you have the deadly virus.

In giving you these hard facts and dreary statistics I don't mean to frighten you. I only want to jolt you into taking immediate action to save your own lives and those of others, to preserve our well being as a people, and sustain our social development and our nation.

You, the youth, are the ones who get infected, and who infect others, at the highest rate. Half of all new infections in the world occur in the age group 10-24. It is estimated that 7,000 young people aged between 10-20 are infected each day in the world. This is an average of 5 infections a minute!

In our country, Tanzania, those infected are mainly young people in the age group 20 - 44, with peak infections recorded between 30 - 34 years. Girls, however, reach peak infection rate at a lower age bracket than boys.

It must be borne in mind that these statistics refer only to those patients that report to hospitals or health centres countrywide, often for problems seemingly unrelated to AIDS, but upon clinical investigation were found to be HIV positive. Many of our people, young and old, do not normally go to hospital or health centres just for medical check up. Many of our people do not, therefore, know their HIV/AIDS status!

I repeat. You, our young people, who are the most important resource of our nation, who have the strength to build our nation, who possess the necessary education, skills and expertise for nation building acquired over the years, costing parents and the nation a lot of money, you are the very ones who are most affected by this epidemic. The cumulative effect on the nation is enormous.

There are several reasons, mostly being behavioural, that contribute to the high rates of infection among the youth. One is unreined sexual urges, which are at their peak among young people. Today, I call upon you to restrain those urges so as to save your lives. If you are determined, it is possible. In the past, there were customs among certain tribes, which had instituted social norms, and taboos that prevented pre-marital or extra-marital sex. Let us revive those customs and put them to use.

The second contributing behaviour among the youth is that of adventure and experimentation, with reckless abandon, and without taking into account future consequences of present actions. I know that such behaviour is characteristic of youth. But, under these circumstances, I ask you to try hard and avoid that kind of behaviour. In particular, avoid unprotected sex at all costs.

The third behaviour is over-indulgence in alcohol, and drug addiction. Such behaviour severely impairs the capacity to think before taking action. It compromises the ability to make rational decisions, including inducing casual and unsafe sex. I ask you, young people, to avoid drugs and excessive use of alcohol.

The fourth behaviour is the culture of disrespect and cruelty against women, which denies girls a say in sexual matters. There are girls who are raped by their boy friends, family members, guardians, or employers, exposing them to venereal diseases and the HIV virus. The society must find the strength and the will to fight such unbecoming behaviour with the urgency commensurate to the crisis on our hands.

The fifth behaviour is the fallacious and unfortunate assumption that adolescents are safe, that they do not have HIV/AIDS. This makes young people victims to be preyed upon even by older people, both male and female. This behaviour is disgraceful and a shame to our society. I appeal to both the youth and adults to stop it at once.

The sixth behaviour is a product of unemployment, which drives some young people, especially girls, into prostitution. But these girls are often denied the right to protect themselves first. Here, in Tanzania, it is estimated that one out of every two barmaids, and one out of every two sex workers, carries the HIV virus. Most of them are young people like you. I appeal to them to earn their living through other means. The Government, in co-operation with NGOs and donors, will continue to do whatever possible to create those favourable conditions that will enable them to do so.

My Dear Young People,
You must know how one gets infected with the HIV virus, and the different strategies to avoid being infected with it, or infecting others. That is where to begin. None among you must get infected or infect others out of ignorance on how the virus spreads, and on how to protect him - or herself.

There are three main ways you can get infected. The first and most common one is unprotected sex. Ninety percent, that is 9 out of every 10 infections, occur in this way. It is, therefore, of paramount importance to avoid engaging in casual sex, or to always protect yourself properly. The decision is yours; but you must decide! Do not be reckless. Pause to first consider your life-saving options, and then make a wise decision.

The second way is transmission from a pregnant mother to a child during childbirth or breast-feeding. Experts say that between 25 - 30% of children born of an HIV infected mother get infected. It is wise, therefore, to get tested for HIV before deciding to conceive. In other words, we must now build the culture of making conscious and rational decisions about producing children, and not to have unplanned or unwanted children.

The third mode of transmission is blood transfusion with infected blood. The government makes great efforts to screen donated blood to ensure patients get safe blood. But instruments used for cutting, incision, and perforation which have blood residue, no matter how minute, for instance tools used for circumcision, tribal rituals, treatment by traditional healers, and decorative perforations of the ear, nose and lip, hair cutting and so on can also lead to HIV infection. I appeal to you, therefore, to avoid those practices that are unnecessary, and where necessary to use sterilised instruments, without sharing.

My Dear Young People,
Despite the clear proof that HIV/AIDS exists, that the epidemic is spreading at a very high rate, and that to date there is no cure or vaccine, many of our people continue with the behaviour, habits and actions that spread the virus, completely unmindful of this truth. It is truly sad to see how our people have become indifferent to this tragedy and unwilling to change their habits and life-styles. The pleasures of the moment and fleeting happiness are exalted above the longer-term need to stay alive. Others dare to extenuate the gravity of HIV/AIDS by referring to it, in jest, as "an occupational hazard". Change your ways, my fellow citizens and our young people. Let us save ourselves, save our families, and save our nation.

There are those among us who, on getting AIDS, claim they have only been bewitched. It is quite amazing, and very sad indeed, that superstition and belief in magic remains deeply ingrained in the minds and lives of many of our people. This is the 21st century. Let us abandon such beliefs.

There are traditional medicine men and women who claim to have the cure for this disease. Believe me, young people, when I say there is not yet a cure for HIV/AIDS. True, there are palliatives that can bring temporary relief to those suffering from AIDS, but they are not a cure! In any case, the cost of such medicines is so prohibitive that they will remain a dream to a poor country, and poor people, like us.

I count on you, the youth of Tanzania, in this war on HIV/AIDS. As young people you have all the necessary attributes - the spirit, the energy, and the ability - to change the direction and speed of HIV infection, if you so decide. I urge you to decide so!

In order to reduce the rate of HIV infection I call upon you, young people, to embrace the following today:

• Firstly, every young person should encourage his or her friend that they should both attend an HIV/AIDS guidance and counselling centre and agree to voluntary screening for the HIV virus. If you are found to be HIV-positive, you will be counselled on how best to take care of your health so as to live a longer life, with greater hope. Upon knowing your HIV status, you will also be in a better position to decide on whether to get married or not, or on whether to get pregnant or not. The Government has the facilities to enable you, young people, to check and establish your HIV status;

• Secondly, avoid having multiple sex partners, or making love without proper protection. It is much better, if you are not married, not to indulge in sex until you have found the partner you want to marry, after both of you have been screened and found HIV-negative. And, after that, each one of you must be absolutely faithful to the other;

• Thirdly, make sure you get prompt treatment for any venereal disease you might have. Venereal diseases make it easy to get infected with the HIV virus; and

• Fourthly, our societies must now abandon those customs and traditions that contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS.

In conclusion, I have also a message for parents, civic leaders, religious leaders and every citizen. The time has now come to discuss openly with our youth, and our children, about this epidemic. The youth must be made to understand how they can get infected, and how they can protect themselves. We should not leave them groping in the dark. It is tragic to educate our children and then leave them to perish from AIDS. Let us listen to our children and give them sound advice. Our silence will destroy them. My fellow citizens, I ask you: Until when shall we continue to bury our young people? Let us say, enough is enough! Where there is a will there is a way. Let us be on our way.

To you, the youth, I decided to address you directly because I have profound faith in you. I know that once you decide, you have the ability in your hands to save yourselves, and to save our society and our nation. This is not anymore the question of saving your own life. It is a patriotic duty, a matter of national salvation, a matter of life and death for all of us as individuals, as families and as societies. Young man and young woman, your nation needs you. Heed my call to you today.

Remember that as a young person, you are tomorrow's parent, heir, and leader of tomorrow's nation. You must, therefore, save yourself, and save others. If everyone co-operates, we should win this war. Listen, learn, obey, act and live a healthy life without AIDS!!
May God Bless You.
Thank you for your kind attention.