17 Aug 2016

Botswana through the African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnership (ACHAP) has been allocated US$ 32.2 million  (about P334 million) for a three year period (2016 to 2018) for the interventions relating to malaria, Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS. 

Speaking during a media brief, the National Coordinator for National Aids Coordinating Agency (NACA), Ms Grace Muzila said the overall goal of the grant is to achieve zero local malaria transmission or the elimination of malaria to prevent new HIV infections, reduce morbidity and mortality as well as to enhance the psychosocial support and reduce economic impact associated with TB.

Ms Muzila further challenged the recipients of the grant to focus more on delivery to attain epidemic control of the diseases.

Laying out the plan for the funding, the principal recipient for ACHAP, Mr Blessed Monyatsi said although Botswana is classified as a middle income country, it has been funded to fill in resources gaps that compromises the achievement of national goals in the fight against HIV and AIDS, TB and malaria.

Mr Monyatsi mentioned that Botswana still has an extreme burden on HIV and TB prevalence and that malaria is high; for that reason, Botswana has been given a special dispensation.

He stated that they are working in partnership with the Ministry of Health, stakeholders including the District Health Management Teams for direct implementation. He said the interventions on HIV/TB would be carried out in Palapye, Tutume, Francistown, Ngami, Selibe Phikwe, Kweneng West, Okavango, Serowe, Kgalagadi North and Boteti districts.

He further stated that TB interventions would be in Bobirwa, Kgalagadi South, Mabutsane, Jwaneng, North East and Lobatse Districts.

He said for the concerned districts, they have prioritised modules on the TB/HIV and would be dealing with prevention programmes for adolescents and youth, such like caring a comprehensive sexuality and life skills education for youth, parent child communication.

He further stated that they would carry wise up platform and social media, do school campaigns as well as focus on group discussions. He also said they are to do community mobilisation through house to house campaigns, as well as use SMS texts.

Mr Monyatsi added that they would work on prevention programmes for female sex workers together with male who have sex with their male counterparts. He said while doing that, they would produce related booklets on safer sex practices to distribute at hotspots.

On TB care and prevention, Mr Monyatsi cited that they would update and harmonise to in-corporate contact tracing and investigation on TB and HIV.

He stated that for the HIV care and treatment they would also follow-up on Pre-ART and referral for treatment, care and support.

Mr Monyatsi also mentioned that there would be community system strengthening where therenwould be training of community leaders to strengthen community system for effective and efficient planning, implementation, monitoring and taking ownership and accountability of the diseases initiatives in targeted districts.

Mr Monyatsi pointed out that the programmes would be carried out by different organisations aimed at fighting the diseases such like Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA), Botswana Christian AIDS Intervention Programme (BOCAIP) and Tebelopele as they have been selected as the sub-recipients of the Global Fund funding. 

He hallenged the civil society to play a role to help government attain its goals. ENDS