By The Citizen Reporter

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania yesterday launched a nationwide campaign to tackle excessive drinking.The government’s initiative against irresponsible drinking has the backing of local brewers and is supported by international organisations with the United States Agency for International Development (Usaid) being its major financier.

The campaign will mainly be conducted through radio programmes. The campaign, dubbed Chonde Chonde! Ulevi Noma! (Please, alcoholism is dangerous), is a six-month drive that will end in September this year.

Health and Social Welfare Permanent Secretary Blandina Nyoni, who was the chief guest at the launch in Dar es Salaam, said heavy drinking was a big problem in Tanzania, adding that concerted national efforts were required to deal with the problem.

She said alcohol abuse, among other things, impaired the efficacy of HIV medications and reduced drug compliance, adding that the most serious consequence was impairment of one’s ability to make rational decisions.

“For example, people who drink excessively more often have unprotected sex than those who do not or those who drink responsibly. Tacaids (The Tanzania Commission for Aids) lists alcohol consumption as an important factor in HIV/Aids prevalence.”

According to the Tacaids HIV Prevention Strategy for Tanzania Mainland (2009), men who drink have an HIV prevalence rate that is three times higher than those who do not drink. The prevalence rate is twice higher among women who drink than those who don’t.

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