In many countries economic and social progress is held back by the impact of HIV. Ministries and businesses alike are affected by AIDS-related absenteeism. The number of school-leavers is falling. Persons and families infected with or affected by HIV are threatened by poverty.

GIZ helps ministries, organisations and private sector enterprises in partner countries to implement programmes that aim to

• contain the spread of the disease
• treat infected persons, and
• alleviate the impact of the disease.

In Tanzania, GIZ (former GTZ) has been advising the health ministry on combating HIV for more than 15 years. In the Mbeya region, this long-term cooperation reduced the number of newly infected pregnant women almost by half. In this region, GIZ works to promote health and a quality assurance system in laboratories, as well as helping to distribute condoms and establish a home-based care system. Concerted action between public and private actors and the involvement of those affected by HIV have contributed to this success.