EngenderHealth leads the CHAMPION Project, an innovative five-year initiative to increase men’s involvement in preventing the spread of HIV in Tanzania. Supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the project takes a holistic approach to HIV prevention and addresses the underlying gender issues that drive HIV transmission.

Because of power imbalances in sexual relationships, women are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection. For example, more than half of the 1.4 million people living with HIV in Tanzania are women. To lessen the impact of HIV on women and to improve the health of both women and men, gender-related behavior and roles need to be addressed. The CHAMPION Project aims to:

• Reduce men’s high-risk behaviors
• Promote fidelity and a reduction in the number of sexual partners
• Eliminate gender-based violence
• Increase men’s participation in health services

CHAMPION builds on EngenderHealth’s Men As Partners® and HIV programs and involves collaborating with the Academy for Educational Development (AED) and diverse local partners, such as the Tanzania Commission for AIDS, the National Muslim Council of Tanzania, and soccer clubs.