Religion and HIV / AIDS prevention in Dar es-Salaam region, Tanzania
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Date
2009
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
Globally, religious leaders are striving for various efforts as a response to the
HIV/AIDS menace, a health problem which has profound impact
the people. Religion permeates into all walks of lives and that it influences peoples'
morals on what is right and what is wrong. Contrary, although Africa is a global
epicenter of religious practices, it is a core habitat of HIV/AIDS. Thus, the general
objective of this study was to determine role of religion in HIV prevention in Dar-es-
Salaam Region to determine effectiveness of religious' teachings related to HIV
prevention. The study adopted cross sectional design'using open and closed ended
questionnaires applied to sample size of 300 respondents in three districts of the
region. 60 respondents of whom were religious' leaders while followers were 240.
Interviews with key informants and focus group discussions (FGDs) were applied in
data collection. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 10) was used to
analyze the data. Descriptive statistics and index scales were used to determine: level
of knowledge of leaders on HIV/AIDS and their behaviours; and followers' altitude
HIV/AIDS was high though had little influence on preachings related to HIV/AIDS
mostlv affected by peoples' sexual behaviour, low level of religiosity and social
religious' institutions and develop common strategies on HIV/AIDS prevention. Il is
also recommended that religious' leaders of all denominations should work together
on spirituality of
towards religious' preachings. The study found that the knowledge of leaders on
prevention. Religious followers had positive attitude towards religious preachings
and their leaders' behaviour. The conclusion is that HIV/AIDS prevention was
economic factors. The study recommends the government to work together with
spiritually with focus on social and economic factors which also contributes to the
menace so as to avert the problem.
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
HIV / AIDS, Religious leaders, Religious practices, Health problem