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A social work vision can have a significant contribution to promoting human welfare and social change and challenging oppression. Tanzania is offered as an example of how this contribution can be made in a context of major political, social and economic change and widespread poverty. A social work vision for a developing country such as Tanzania needs to build on the strengths of the social work profession and its context and maximize ways to overcome limitations. It should emphasize process more than plan, such as the importance of partnership as citizens, caring without oppression, critical reflection in the profession, building supportive networks and coalitions and increasing moral agency.

Safe, cost-effective interventions are being developed to reduce HIV transmission to children, suitable for lower income countries such as Tanzania. The interventions include Nevirapine treatment, replacement feeding, exclusive breast-feeding and heat-treating breast milk. This article reports on research to explore factors, which may influence the acceptability of these interventions. Data collection methods used were qualitative in-depth interviews with 12 health workers and focus group discussions with five community groups. Findings are presented with reference to the theory of diffusion of innovation, which seeks to explain how new ideas and products are disseminated through a community. Respondents describe the factors that may help and hinder this process. They propose ways to maximize this diffusion, such as integrating HIV and antenatal services, encouraging male participation, community-wide education, offering free HIV testing, and training health workers as change agents.

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