November 28, 2016
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Lawmakers in Tanzania are banning HIV/AIDS outreach programs that target the LGBT community.
“The
sudden crackdown has come as a surprise in a country that has until
recently been tolerant of its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
(LGBT) community. Unlike in neighbouring Uganda – where pride events
were disrupted by the police last week – Kenya
and Zimbabwe, gay Tanzanians have not experienced the same levels of
violence and discrimination, and politicians have until now generally
ignored the topic.”
According to the Daily News:
“Tanzania,
which had been making progress in eradicating the HIV virus that once
was rampant in the region, shut down some U.S.-funded prevention
programs.
“Those
programs helped provide medical care to those with HIV/AIDS, handed out
condoms and provided testing to those who wanted to know their
condition.”
@stephen_abbott @PEPFAR That screen cap is unreadable without explanation— NoBigGovDuh (@NoBigGovDuh) November 28, 2016
The Washington Post notes that the ban marks “the first time that a country has suspended parts of the United States’ hugely successful foreign HIV/AIDS initiative in an attempt to crack down on the gay community.”
Watch Duke Global Health Institute’s Dr. Dorothy Dow discuss HIV/AIDS stigma in Tanzania below.
Read more articles from Towleroad, here.
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