While Tanzania is taking measures to curb the HIV and AIDS pandemic - including limiting its transmission and minimizing its impact, addressing such transmission among mobile populations such as students and staff of Higher Learning Institutions remains a challenge. Available information shows that a number of daunting challenges face Universities in Tanzania in designing and implementing effective responses to HIV and AIDS. First is the fact that little is known about the vulnerability, prevalence, impact and situation of HIV and AIDS in most of these institutions. Second is the tendency of some senior members of staff to think of HIV and AIDS as issues that only concern the junior staff and students. The third challenge is that HIV and AIDS is not given high priority in terms of resources allocation (financial, human, time and space) and this constrains on the implementation of planned, coordinated, integrated and comprehensive institutional HIV and AIDS programs. Objectives The baseline study aimed to generate data/information on the status and responses of HIV and AIDS amongst the selected Higher Education Institutions in Tanzania. Specifically, this study sought: 1. to determine HIV prevalence among students of Higher Learning Institutions; 2. To identify risk factors associated with HIV infections among university population and neighboring communities; 3. To assess the current and planned programs of the HIV and AIDS responses for selected institutions of Higher Learning in Tanzania; 4. To assess the availability and utilization of HIV and AIDS related services for staff and students of IHL in Tanzania.