AIDS kills over 140,000 teachers in Tanzania in 2 decades

More than 140,000 teachers have died of AIDS or AIDS-related diseases in the past two decades in Tanzania, where an anti-HIV/AIDS publicity campaign is being conducted in schools and colleges.

Available statistics showed that the deadly virus had claimed 121,548 primary school teachers and 18,747 secondary school teachers in the past 20 years, averaging 7,014 teachers per annum.

The figures were released by Joseph Mungai, Tanzanian minister of education and culture.

Local newspaper The Citizen quoted the minister as telling a seminar that it is time to think of a completely new approach to combating HIV/AIDS not only in the education sector but in the entire society.

He said that anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) and condoms should be made available to teachers in remote areas so that the teachers would be able to stay alive and continue to teach the kids.

Source: Xinhua