31 Aug 2014

Residents of Makalamabedi in the North West District have been applauded for fighting the HIV/AIDS scourge.

The health education officer, Mr Kebotlwaetse Kwambala said the efforts of the Makalamabedi Village Multisectoral AIDS Committee in addressing health related issues were appreciated.

He commended the Makalamabedi committee and the community for seeking ways of improving services in relation to HIV/AIDS and clearing the misconception about the disease.

Mr Kwambala advised residents to make good use of programmes tailored for Batswana such as Safe Male Circumcision, Prevention of Mother to Child Prevention and ARV programmes

He encouraged couples to test for HIV/AIDS testing and attend counseling sessions. He also discouraged repeated pregnancies among women who live with HIV/AIDS, saying it dangered their lives.

Testing for diseases earlier was encouraged because it helped them to know their status instead of seeking medical attention when it is too late, he added. Mr Kwambala said the Botswana AIDS Impact Survey of 2013 had revealed that new infections were continuing in Botswana. 

For her part, the principal registered nurse, Ms Gasegale Fetanang who is also the committee secretary encouraged residents to continue fighting the HIV/AIDS scourge.She cited as challenges people who default in taking up ARV medication, repeated pregnancies by HIV positive women, late bookings by HIV positive women, refusal to use prevention methods and home deliveries by HIV positive mothers.

Ms Fetanang said since the introduction of PMTCT programme in Makalamabedi, 266 women living with HIV/AIDS registered and only four delivered children were HIV positive.

She said HIV/AIDS related deaths were low in Makalamabedi since these programmes were introduced, adding that from 2012 to 2014 only six affected people died.

Consequently, she highlighted that this year alone, from January to July they tested 132 women and only five women tested positive and tested 65 men with only eight testing positive. ENDS