23 Nov 2017

Botswana will continue to intensify the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS,.

Speaking at the World AIDS Day media briefing in Gaborone on November 21,  National AIDS Coordinating Agency, national coordinator, Mr Richard Matlhare said because of the successes that have been recorded, some people think the war against the spread of HIV/AIDS has already been conquered.

He said this year’s HIV/AIDS commemorations would be held in Bobonong, where President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama would be expected to be the guest speaker.

Mr Matlhare said the President would also be there to inspire the whole nation and share the progress that had been achieved in the last 32 years and to give the country the road-map of the journey ahead.

He said the global community had set itself the year 2030 as the year of ending AIDS, adding that on December 1, the world would unite in the fight against HIV to introspect on the achievements, successes, challenges, huddles and map a way forward.

“Again, December 1 is the day when we show support to those who are living with HIV and remember all the fallen heroes and heroines to pay tribute to them as they remain dearly in our hearts,” he said, adding that some of them had relentlessly and gallantly fought the war, while some were still alive.

For those who have parted, all we can do is take solace from what their contribution had been, he said.

He noted that as the country takes stock on December 1, all should identify the gaps and see what could trigger more concerted efforts towards ending AIDS by 2030.

Mr Matlhare said the death rate had declined through the introduction of ARVs, which came at a financial cost and encouraged the whole community not to let the numbers increase again by not taking ARVs regularly as prescribed.

He said many developmental programmes had to be shelved because the country wanted to save lives and put back those who were to develop this country into productive lives and cited that the death rate had declined so drastically that many were now living a productive life though they were living with the virus.

He said one of the priorities that President Khama had set included poverty, employment creation, and elimination of PMCTC, education and corruption prevention.

Mr Matlhare encouraged behavioural change and cited that in the past, in every 100 HIV positive mothers who gave birth in the early days, the transmission rate was as high as 60 per cent and now it had drastically dropped to 1.4 per cent, signaling that the country was near elimination.

UNAIDS country director, Ms Jyothi Raja Nilambur Kovilakam said this should be a long journey in which the country was taking stock of where it was and where it has to improve further.

She said this should also be a journey in which all were moving to achieve all the set targets. ENDS