The president said HIV/AIDS transmission rate stands at 5.7 per cent, down from 18 per cent in the 1990s. 

Flanked by former US President George W. Bush who is in the country as part of his tour of Africa with his family, Mr Kikwete said 13 million Tanzanians have so far undergone voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) since July 2007. 

Mass VCT was sparked by the president and his wife Mama Salma Kikwete in July 2007, when launching a nationwide campaign on voluntary counselling and testing. The first couple tested in public.

“Thirty years ago, being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS was like a death sentence. The victims suffered isolation because of stigma and fear associated with the disease. 

“But now the disease is no longer perceived as was before. These days, many lives can and have actually been and continue to be saved through care and treatment,” Mr Kikwete said. 

Former US President Bill Clinton, Congressmen and women as well as key personalities involved in the fight against AIDS participated in a teleconference through satellite link from Washington DC. 

President Kikwete said with the availability of ARVs many infected people can now live a normal life as long as they change their life style. 

“As a result of these developments and measures, Tanzania has been registering steady progress in the fight against HIV/ AIDS. Indeed, thousands of Tanzanians who would have died of the disease are still alive today,” he said. 

Mr Kikwete said stigma had gone down as more and more people keep coming forward to test and reveal their status. 

It was in 1983 when three patients were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Kagera region. Today, it is estimated that 1.3 million people are living with HIV/AIDS and last year alone 86,000 people died of HIV/AIDS-related complications. 

There are over two million orphans from HIV/AIDS related deaths. Currently, also there are 4,301 health facilities providing Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) services. 

“This is equivalent to 93 per cent of health facilities in Tanzania. So far, in 2010, a total of 80,748 (70 per cent) HIV infected pregnant women received care and treatment,” Mr Kikwete remarked. 

“Likewise, 65,948 (57 per cent) children born to HIV infected mothers received medicine to prevent mother to child transmission. I am not very happy with this accomplishment, we need to do more work,” he said. 

He hailed the US government and its people for their support in the fight against HIV/AIDS epidemic. 

By December last year, about 740,040 people living with HIV were enrolled in care and treatment clinics, of whom 384,816 are on antiretroviral therapy (ART). 

“So far we have achieved 87.5 per cent of the target we set ourselves for delivery of care and treatment. But, I would like to underscore the fact that we need continued support as you have seen from the statistics that there are still gaps, some huge ones to close,” he said. 

Mr Bush said the fight against HIV/AIDS can be won and called on various stakeholders to join efforts to curb the deadly disease. 

Former President Bush has been instrumental in the fight against the endemic disease through the establishment of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programme during his term in office.