09 Sep 2015

Every year Botswana sets a month in which the public, in collaboration with various partners and stakeholders hold HIV and AIDS sensitisation, community mobilisation and advocacy campaigns throughout the country.

This year September has been set as the month against AIDS and in Molepolole various churches came together and commemorated the day at the main kgotla on Sunday under the theme: Getting to zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS related deaths.”

The day, which was full of singing of church hymns, dancing and preaching had been attended by both the young and the old. The objective of the gathering was to ask for divine intervention so that the virus that has left the country devastated could disappear.

Kweneng West District AIDS coordinator, Ms Theresa Makati explained that the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Molepolole has increased tremendously. She said when she first relocated to Molepolole in 2008, she made it her business to teach as many people as she could about the dangers of HIV/AIDS.

With only a year left for Botswana to turn 50, she urged the youth to consider behaviour change since they were the most affected. She said if Botswana could celebrate 50 years of independence with the knowledge that HIV/AIDS cases have gone down, that would be an accomplishment for the nation.

After prayers, the aim would be to provide behaviour change interventions and communications on HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections starting with the community of Molepolole. Another objective was to achieve AIDS transition, where fewer people were newly infected than the newly placed on treatment. ENDS