Environmentalists in Tanzania’s semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar say lack of awareness and negligence have greatly hindered efforts to protect the environment, which is now threatened by soil erosion, deforestation and pollution.

Under this task order, the contractor will independently provide support services to satisfy the overall operational objectives of the Global AIDS Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tanzania. USG aims to expand services for HIV prevention, care and treatment to individuals affected and infected with HIV.

Elibariki Isaya, a pastoralist in northern Tanzania’s Kiteto District, has been caught in clashes between farmers in the area. "We are regarded as refugees in our own country," he said. "Farmers have thrown us off the land. We now have nowhere to take cattle, goats and sheep for grazing and drinking water."

The practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) is on the decline in Tanzania, according to the results of a study by the country's Ministry of Health. Released on 1 December, the Tanzania Demographic Health Survey showed that FGM prevalence had declined from 18 percent in 1996 to 15 percent in 2005, when the survey was carried out.

For many years there have been complaints that the land sector was an impediment to private sector investment and efficiency. Ten years ago in 1996, a report titled The Investors’ Road Map of Tanzania, outlined the many problems that a would-be investor faced, and access to land was cited as a critical one.

Religious leaders from all over the world are meeting in Zanzibar to discuss several issues including the fight against HIV/Aids in their respective countries.According to a statement from the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, signed by its Media Relations Officer, Hajji Nsereko Mutumba, the conference that opened yesterday will end on November 17.

Tanzanian authorities have started sending back immigrant pastoralists in the northwestern region of Kagera, who had moved into the area from neighbouring Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda, the deputy Livestock Development minister, Charles Mlingwa, has said.

The Tanzanian government is reviewing the country's Marriage Act with the aim of raising girls' age consent for marriage from 15 to 18 years, Deputy Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Mathias Chikawe has said. "The Law of Marriage Act of 1971 allows the marriage of girls at the age of 15 years; at this age the girls are still biologically and psychologically immature," Chikawe, said.

Donors have expressed "grave concern" over the Tanzanian government's commitment to combat corruption and fear that the fight against graft has been put off until 2006, when President Benjamin Mkapa will leave office.

The lack of preparedness of school leavers for the world of work is a long-standing and controversial issue. In countries such as Ghana and Tanzania, where the school system has expanded dramatically post-independence, many young people have faced difficulties finding jobs suited to their skills.

Authorities in Zanzibar have incinerated another consignment of chicken eggs smuggled from mainland Tanzania, in the hope of keeping their islands free of avian flu. "We seized the egg consignment of about 11 boxes imported from the Tanzanian mainland commercial capital of Dar es Salaam," said Kassim Gharib, the head of a task force formed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Natural Resources and Environment.

Tanzania has introduced a new type of licence, which allows a licensee to provide to end users a range of electronic communication services including among others payphone services, Internet and videoconference. The Director General of the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), Professor John Nkoma said that one of the license categories under the Converged Licensing Framework is application service.

Gender activists have condemned Tanzania's First Lady, Mrs Salma Kikwete, for supporting the Swazi cultural ritual, umhlanga (reed dance). "The reed dance encourages girls to abstain from sex because they know if they are not virgins they will not be allowed to participate. This prevents them from contracting HIV/Aids," said Mrs Kikwete in her address to an audience in Mbabane.

Data collected by the Tanzania Media Women Association (TAMWA) shows a strong correlation between HIV/AIDS, early school exit, teenage marriage and pregnancy. Tanzanian law allows girls aged as young as 15 to get married with parental consent, and between 20 percent and 40 percent do so before reaching adulthood, according to the United Nations Population Fund, which addresses reproductive health and population issues.

On July 5 2006,Tanzania’s Minister of Land and Settlements Development, John Magufuli, instituted criminal proceedings at Dodoma Police Station against two editors and one journalist of a privately owned media house, Habari Corporation. The accussed, Mr. John Bwire (chief editor), Mr. Muhingo Rweyemamu (editor), together with Mr. Nephilitius Kyaruzi (journalist), were summoned only on August 24, 2006, to the Kijitonyama Police Station.

In low-income countries like Tanzania where half of the population lives in extreme poverty, child labor is considered as a means of survival for many families and not necessarily abuse. Children in Tanzania are compelled by economic needs to trade-off school time to work as rock crushers in local quarries, farm workers, miners, domestic servants, and prostitutes - in most cases under intolerant and exploitive conditions.

Health officials in Tanzania's semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar predict a drastic drop in the number of malaria cases on the island after a successful mosquito control campaign. The manager of Zanzibar's Malaria Control Programme (ZMCP), Abdallah Suleiman, said on Friday the island had met the 90-percent coverage of the area targeted for residual spraying in the 54-day programme.

A recent analysis of data from nearly 1,500 in-person interviews with women in the urban district of Moshi, Tanzania, highlights the need for policies and programs aimed at empowering women to take control of their sex lives and fertility.

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On 5 July 2006, Tanzania's minister of land and settlements development, John Magufuli, instituted criminal proceedings at Dodoma police station against two editors and one journalist of a privately-owned media house, Habari Corporation. The accused, Mr. John Bwire (chief editor), Mr. Muhingo Rweyemamu (editor), and Mr. Nephilitius Kyaruzi (journalist), were summoned only on 24 August to the Kijitonyama police station.