21 Sep 2014

The Acting Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration Mr Shaw Kgathi says government remains committed to ending AIDS by intensifying efforts to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support.

Addressing the Central District Council (CDC) in Serowe on Thursday, September 18 Mr Kgathi said currently about 235 600 people are on ARV therapy resulting in the reduction of AIDS related deaths and improved survival and quality of life.

He said more than ever before there is hope that ending AIDS is possible.

The Minister further said the results of the recent National HIV and AIDS survey, known as the Botswana AIDS Impact Survey (BAIS), has revealed a marginal decline in the national HIV incidence from 1.4 per cent in 2008 to 1.3 per cent last year.

Mr Kgathi said that is laudable but the number is still high for a small population of just 2 million people.

He said the percentage of people living with HIV or what is called national HIV prevalence increased slightly from 17.6 per cent in 2008 to 18.5 per cent last year.

He said in the Central District, Serowe experienced prevalence decline from 20 per cent to 17.1, with Mahalapye experiencing an increase from 17.1 per cent to 23.1 percent, while Bobonong got a slight increase from 18.9 to 19.3 percent.

Mr Kgathi said people continue to engage in risk behavior that exposes them to the risk of HIV infection.

He said district specific results of Botswana AIDS Impact Survey of last year indicate that 4.4 per cent of young people in Botswana have sex before the age of 15, adding that to end AIDS there is need for Batswana to change how they have been doing things.

Mr Kgathi further said there is need to speak against practices such as negative beliefs and misconceptions, substance abuse, early teenage sexual relationship, and multiple partnerships.

The Coordinator of the National AIDS Coordinating Agency (NACA) Ms Grace Muzila said people do not test for HIV/AIDS in large numbers; hence she appealed to councilors to talk to their communities. Ms Muzila said their survey revealed that a lot of people still do not take advantage of health facilities close to them so that they could get help.

She said also some people who are on treatment do not adhere well to treatment and end up being defaulters, urging village leaders to address these issues in their kgotla meetings.

She said the government was doing everything in its powers to make sure that there is an end to HIV/AIDS by 2030. ENDS