T-MARC Tanzania, a key partner of the government in addressing critical gaps in HIV/AIDS response, has proved their worth in the fight against the pandemic during a one-week exhibition that started on the 24 th November here in Ruandansolwe Stadium, Mbeya and ends today when the world commemorates World Aids Day.
T-MARC Tanzania is one of the key partners of the Tanzanian government and international donors and implementing partners, working closely to achieve Tanzania’s vision of “End inequalities. End AIDS. End epidemics”.
T-MARC is a locally managed, non-governmental organization with strong local and international partnerships based on programs that ensure accessible, affordable, and quality health related services and products among communities. The organization operates on both the Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar. T-MARC is mandated to make sustainable health and social impact on the lives of Tanzanians through the application of core competencies in social marketing, communication, project management and partnership. Envisioned to be the Centre of Excellence for sustainable health development with capacity to overcome obstacles for the wellbeing of communities in Tanzania, T-MARC provides quality services and health products for disease prevention, through innovative interventions and partnership to address key social and economic challenges – thereby contributing to the wellbeing of targeted communities in Tanzania.
T-MARC in its social responsibility spanning almost to two decades, has evolved into one of Tanzania’s largest and fully independent NGO.
T-MARC deploys bold and innovative approaches to expanding access to health products as well as informing and changing health behaviours. T-MARC successfully expanded its health portfolio to work on a wide range of health issues, including HIV/AIDS, TB, reproductive health, family planning, nutrition, Malaria, and water and sanitation. T-MARC’s core focus is social marketing, social and behavior change communication, while expanding beyond HIV/AIDS and reproductive health to address new health and development priorities, including child survival, malaria, nutrition, and water and sanitation, and girl’s empowerment.
During the one-week exhibition, T-MARC was able to afford the people of Mbeya and Tanzania in general to access their quality but affordable products an act that has been received by Tanzanian with gratitude since funds accrued from the sales is rolled back towards communal projects.
In their kiosk, T-MARC has been providing Dume condom and sanitary pads besides training all stakeholders on how to use and store the products till in gets to the consumer.
T-MARC understands the Government of Tanzania’s HIV/AIDS priorities as well as the key challenges to be addressed among its target audiences. For Tanzania’s generalized HIV epidemic, the primary mode of transmission is through heterosexual activity, which accounts for 80% of all HIV infections. T-MARC works on a wide range of HIV/AIDS activities, ranging from male and female condom promotion, targeted social and behavior change (SBC) activities for most-at-risk populations, training of peer educators on condom negotiation and correct condom use, and promotion of HIV testing and treatment services.
T-MARC’s Condom Social Marketing Program Over the past 14 years T-MARC has been promoting access to, correct and consistent use of quality and affordably priced condoms through Dume male. T-MARC’s Dume male condom initiative comprising three variants, Dume Classic condoms, Dume Desire condoms and Dume Extreme condoms, target people from different age and socio-economic groups with special focus on youth and most at risk population.
T-MARC has sold and distributed about 60 million male condoms during the past five years.