Scientific Paper Under Scrutiny For Claiming 80% Of Tanzanians Living With HIV

A scientific paper published in 2021 has come under fire on social media platforms for making a “highly inaccurate claim” about the prevalence of HIV in Tanzania. The paper, titled “Sexual Behaviors and HIV Status: A Population-Based Study among Youths and Adults in Tanzania,” authored by Adeleye Ayinde Adaralegbe and colleagues from the University of Connecticut, asserts in its introduction that “approximately 80% of the Tanzanian population is living with HIV.”   

This has raised significant concerns among public health experts and Tanzanians alike. The figure of 80% is far from the recent data issued by Tanzanian government and international organizations indicating that the actual HIV prevalence in the country is closer to 4-5%. And the claim is far from what the prevalence of HIV was in Tanzania at the time of publication of the study.

Furthermore, the paper’s authors have come under scrutiny for citing a source that contradicts their claim. The 80% figure appears to have been erroneously taken from a study that actually reported a prevalence rate of 6%. The paper in question, “Kharsany AB, Karim QA (2016) HIV infection and AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa: Current status, challenges and opportunities. Open AIDS J 10: 34-48,” provides an assessment of the HIV epidemic in the country at the time.   

The 80% figure in the paper has been repeated twice in the writings, with critics saying it’s highly unlikely to be a simple typing error, and that more likely it’s a result of a misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the data. However, the paper’s conclusions align with general understanding of HIV transmission and prevention strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Tanzanian scientists have also questioned the absence of a local investigator, who could have provided valuable insights into the cultural context and ensured that the study adhered to local ethical guidelines. Additionally, the paper’s claim that Tanzania is located in Eastern Africa has been criticized for its inaccuracy. Tanzania is located in East Africa.

The paper’s publication in an open-access journal has made it widely available, potentially spreading misinformation to a large audience. Efforts are being made to reach the authors to clarify the claim. Until the time of publication, they hadn’t responded by an email sent to the Principal Investigator to clarify.