Empowering Communities by Addressing the HIV Prevention Knowledge Gap
In the heart of Kasulu Town Council, a quiet transformation is taking place — one that is changing lives and protecting futures. At the centre of this change is Joanitha Deogratius, a 29-year-old young woman who, like many of her peers, once lived each day unaware of how close she was to danger.
“I didn’t know much about HIV prevention,” Joanitha recalls. “Because of the life I was living—being with different men just to survive—I didn’t think I could protect myself. I didn’t even know how.”
That changed the day healthcare workers from the PEPFAR/CDC Afya Hatua project visited Murubona Ward. Joanitha and other young women were sensitized on how to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. She was introduced to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) — a daily pill that protects against HIV — and enrolled on the spot.
“I’ve been using PrEP since 2023,” she says proudly. “I feel safer, more informed, and more in control of my life.”
Thanks to the PEPFAR/CDC-supported Afya Hatua project, many young women like Joanitha are now safer, healthier, and more empowered. Through community outreach in hotspots like bars, lodges, markets, and busy street corners, healthcare teams are reaching people where they are — and making a real difference.
Shaffi Odilo, a Community HIV Tester at Kasulu Town Hospital, shares how the project has equipped them.
“We’ve received training, tools, and support from THPS to serve our community in a respectful and friendly way. People are now more open to HIV prevention because they see we care.”
Shaffi and his team go the extra mile. Every week, the outreach team — including HIV testers, nurses, peer educators, and clinical staff — visits high-risk areas to offer HIV testing, condom distribution, self-test kits, and PrEP enrolment.
“We screen people at hospitals and during our outreach,” Shaffi explains. “We test them using rapid tests or give them self-test kits. Those who test negative but are at high risk, we enrol them on PrEP”
Women like Zuhura Ramadhani, who lives in one of Kasulu’s hotspots, are thankful.
“I feel protected. The team always ensures we have condoms, and they treat us with love and respect. We truly appreciate them.”
Between September 2024 and June 2025, the Kasulu outreach team reached 1,633 high-risk individuals with HIV prevention services. Of these, 1,621 received HIV testing — 865 through rapid tests and 756 via self-test kits. Seven people who tested positive were immediately linked to HIV care, and 225 individuals were enrolled on PrEP to keep them HIV-free.
