Assessment of the role of HIV projects in controlling of HIV infection among school adolescents in Tanzania: a case of Kinondoni municipality, Dar es Salaam

The Study assessed the role of HIV projects in controlling HIV infections to school adolescents in Kinondoni Municipality. The area was chosen due to the presence of many HIV interventions projects. Specifically, the study examined the intervention measures of HIV among school adolescents, evaluated the effectiveness of HIV projects in controlling HIV transmission among school adolescent and lastly examined challenges facing HIV Projects in preventing HIV infections among school adolescent. The total sample size of 131 school adolescents’ boys and girls in age group of (15-19) years from two schools was involved. The schools and adolescent were randomly selected. The study also interviewed teachers who were purposively sampled from the two schools. Data were collected by using structured and unstructured interview and questionnaire. The study revealed that there was poor participation in VCT program with 58 percent of the respondents never participated in VCT program, although they had knowledge on the program. This implies that not all HIV/AIDS interventions implemented along the study area are effective to the needs of the youth. Some challenges were identified which includes HIV/AIDS programs being not user friendly, lack of enough resources for the project implementers and few services points to offer services. The study recommends that the policy makers and the Government should strategize the use of health extension workers so as to strengthen their efforts and improve the communications program to help the youth to change their attitude towards HIV/AIDS programme