The Prime Minister, Honorable Majaliwa Kassim Majaliwa yesterday
launched the Methadone Clinic at the Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital (MZRH) in
the Southern Highlands.
Launching
the clinic and services for People Who Inject Drugs (PWIDs) in Mbeya, the Prime
Minister commended the Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital for launching the methadone
dispensing services for heroin users in the region.
“This is the fifth methadone
clinic in the country; it is encouraging to see that the Mbeya Zonal Hospital
will now, offer services to our youth who are injecting opioid drugs. Providing
Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) or Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) is one
of the HIV prevention strategies the government is working on, through the Ministry
of Health in its attempts to reduce the risk factors for HIV/AIDS,” said
Honorable Majaliwa.
The
newly- opened methadone clinic is a gift to the people of the United Republic
of Tanzania from the American People and is financially supported by the US Department of Defense-Walter Reed
Program (WRP)/President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), with technical
assistance from the US Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) .
The clinic offers Medically
Assisted Treatment (MAT) for heroin injectors in Mbeya and the Southern
Highlands zone in general; it is expected to serve up to 600 clients in the
first 12 months of operation.
The MAT clinic will dispense methadone as an
alternative to opiate use for the heroin injectors and will also offer HIV counselling,
testing and care and treatment; TB clinic services; cervical cancer screening services,
STI diagnosis and treatment, and substance abuse counseling and psychosocial
support.
The Prime Minister, Honorable Majaliwa Kassim Majaliwa speaks at the launch of the Methadone Clinic at the Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital (MZRH)
in the Southern Highlands. Others from right are the Commisioner General of the Drug Control and enforcement Authority Rogers William Sianga, Dr. Godlove F. Mbwanji, Director of Mbeya Zonal Referral hospital and the Deputy Speaker Dr. Tulia Ackson Mwansasu.
(From Right to left) Dr. David Elkins, Executive Director Global Health Program Tanzania-HJFMRI, Honorable Kassim Majaliwa, the Prime Minister, Dr. Mbwanji, Director of Mbeya Zonal Referral hospital and Member of Parliament for Mbeya City Honorable Joseph Mbilinyi during the launch of Methadone clinic at the Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital.
(From Right to left) Dr. David Elkins, Executive Director Global Health Program Tanzania-HJFMRI, Honorable Kassim Majaliwa, the Prime Minister, Dr. Mbwanji, Director of Mbeya Zonal Referral hospital and Member of Parliament for Mbeya City Honorable Joseph Mbilinyi during the launch of Methadone clinic at the Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital.
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