Abstract
BackgroundVillage AIDS committees (VAC) were formed by the Tanzanian government in 2003 to provide HIV education to their communities. However, their potential has not been realised due to their limited knowledge and misconceptions surrounding HIV, which could be addressed through training of VAC members. In an attempt to increase HIV knowledge levels and address common misconceptions amongst the VACs, an HIV curriculum was delivered to members in rural north western Tanzania.MethodsAn evaluation of HIV knowledge was conducted prior to and post-delivery of HIV training sessions, within members of three VACs in Kisesa ward. Quantitative surveys were used with several open-ended questions to identify local misconceptions and evaluate HIV knowledge levels. Short educational training sessions covering HIV transmission, prevention and treatment were conducted, with each VAC using quizzes, role-plays and participatory learning and action tools. Post-training surveys occurred up to seven days after the final training session.ResultsBefore the training, "good" HIV knowledge was higher amongst men than women (p = 0.041), and among those with previous HIV education (p = 0.002). The trade-centre had a faster turn-over of VAC members, and proximity to the trade-centre was associated with a shorter time on the committee.Training improved HIV knowledge levels with more members achieving a "good" score in the post-training survey compared with the baseline survey (p = < 0.001). The training programme was popular, with 100% of participants requesting further HIV training in the future and 51.7% requesting training at three-monthly intervals.ConclusionsIn this setting, a series of HIV training sessions for VACs demonstrated encouraging results, with increased HIV knowledge levels following short educational sessions. Further work is required to assess the success of VAC members in disseminating this HIV education to their communities, as well as up-scaling this pilot study to other regions in Tanzania with different misconceptions.
Highlights
Village AIDS committees (VAC) were formed by the Tanzanian government in 2003 to provide HIV education to their communities
This paper describes the evaluation of a tailored HIV curriculum for VACs within a rural area in north-west Tanzania, with the aim that this knowledge could be disseminated to the wider community
Until 2009, VAC members had not been provided with any formal HIV training as part of their participation on the committee
Summary
Village AIDS committees (VAC) were formed by the Tanzanian government in 2003 to provide HIV education to their communities. Preferences for traditional healers over health facilities are common due to familiarity, trust, accessibility and their cheaper cost [12] Another common misconception in some rural areas of Tanzania is that the lubricant oil present on condoms contains the HIV virus, such that their use propagates, rather than prevents, the spread of the epidemic [13]. These rumours are sometimes accompanied by claims that the HIV virus has been deliberately placed there by white people to infect and kill Africans; or that they knowingly distribute old and inferior products [13]. In addition it has been reported by some individuals that both the man and the woman should use a condom during sexual intercourse, suggesting that even when they are considered acceptable, their effectiveness may be compromised by a lack of correct knowledge about their use [13]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
