10 Oct 2016

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Basic Education, Ms Grace Muzila, says partnership between government and stakeholders has been vital in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Officiating at the national closing ceremony for the month of prayer in Nata on Sunday (October 9), Ms Muzila said Botswana was among successful countries in the fight against the epidemic with the death rate having dropped from about 20 000 in 2001 to less than 5 000 in recent years.

This, she said, was as a result of commitment from the leadership, which saw the third president, Dr Festus Mogae calling for help to save Batswana from the scourge in 2002.

This resulted in Botswana being the first country in sub-Sahara to give its people the universal treatment at no cost, she added.

Up to date the leadership had been playing meaningful role to continue with the battle for the epidemic while at the same time they continued to engage other stakeholders from the private sector, non-governmental organisations and the community at large to come up with measure which would sensitise the general public on the importance of a healthy wellbeing.

Furthermore, Ms Muzila described families as one unit, adding that with a proper foundation they could help in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

She therefore called on churches to spread the message on the importance of having a family rather than cohabiting or having multiple concurrent partners.

With government’s continued battle to curb new infections, recent statistics indicate that the infection rate has dropped drastically, she addede.

Statistics, she said, also indicate that about 59 per cent of Batswana have not been married whereas almost 22 per cent are cohabiting while only 15 per cent accounts to those married.

Ms Muzila said the statistics were a concern to government because living out of wedlock or family had been seen to have many influential factors which might result in new infections.

“Belonging to a family helps to ground someone and even help improve one’s attitude and behaviour towards things which may lead them into the immorality,” she said.  

She nonetheless noted that the government recognizes efforts by churches in building up families and implored them to continue with the good work so that Botswana could be very successful in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

In his welcome remarks, Kgosi Rebagamang Rancholo of Nata said as the people of Nata, “they are very fortunate to have been chosen to host such an informative ceremony” noting that it was upon the residents to take the delivered message seriously and practice preventative measures. ENDS