Yesterday in Zanzibar, President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton kicked off a Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) malaria-awareness soccer match in Amaan Stadium, where attendees were able to visit informational booths about malaria prevention and get tested for malaria as well. At the event, President Clinton delivered the coin toss for the teams to choose sides, and Chelsea made the ceremonial kick to the team, which won the coin toss. As President Clinton recognized in brief opening remarks, Zanzibar has made remarkable progress in combating malaria, as the prevalence of the disease has declined from 25% in 2005 to less than 1% today. CHAI is working with the government of Tanzania to increase malaria diagnosis in the private sector, and has successfully negotiated ex-factory prices for quality malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests (mRDT) that are 40-60% lower than what was previously available. As a result, over 500,000 mRDTs have been ordered during the first 3 months of the program.
Afterwards, President Clinton and Chelsea met with the members of the Zanzibar Association of People Living with HIV and AIDS (ZAPHA+) in Stone Town. The women of the ZAPHA+ community were some of the first in Zanzibar to speak publicly about living with HIV/AIDS, at a time when there was great stigma against the disease. President Clinton met with many of these women in 2005, and reconnected with them and their families again yesterday. CHAI has helped ZAPHA+ organize psychosocial sessions and peer education programs, and provided guidance on creating income generating activities for ZAPHA+ members. CHAI has also worked closely with the Zanzibar AIDS Control Program to ensure that quality HIV/AIDS services exist beyond referral hospitals in urban settings. President Clinton also met with Mkapa fellows, medical professionals being trained in HIV/AIDS clinical care and treatment through a program he established with the former President of Tanzania Benjamin Mkapa. The Mkapa Fellows Program trains health professionals who will work in underserved regions, especially in rural areas with limited access to health services. The program also provides administrative training, to improve management throughout the Tanzanian health care system. View photos from the day.
Today, President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton travel to Rwanda to help deliver clean drinking water through a Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) commitment made by Procter & Gamble and the World Vision Program.Later, they will visit a CHAI teaching hospital as well as a Clinton Hunter Development Initiative coffee factory construction site, and will also launch a CHAI nutrition program. Follow President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton’s travels through Africa to visit Foundation and CGI commitments on the Clinton Foundation’s Facebook at Facebook.com/ClintonFoundation, Twitter at @ClintonFdn, and Instagram at Instagram.com/ClintonFoundation.
Photo Credit: President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton stand with President Ali Mohamed Shein and members of the Zanzibar government on August 4, 2013. The Clinton Health Access Initiative hosted a malaria-awareness soccer match in Zanzibar. (Barbara Kinney/Clinton Foundation)
Source publication: Clinton Foundation