13 Mar 2018

Champions of Treat All programme have been encouraged to be relevant and well equipped when sensitising communities.

This was said by the National Support Groups manager at BONEPWA Mr Allan Tshekedi at the recent training of the Treat All Champions hosted by Botswana Network of People living with HIV and AIDS (BONEPWA) in Molepolole.

“We are here to equip you with all necessary information that you should have when reaching out to members of the community. We are also to equip you with tips on how to approach different and sensitive issues relating to the topics that you will be sharing and educating your clients on,” he said

He said through the programme, the idea is to eliminate cases of stigma and change the lives of people living with HIV so that they could live longer and healthier lives.

Mr Tshekedi said objectives of the training was among others to create awareness amongst associations and Treat All Champions.

Still at the training Mr John Payne of PEPFAR said government had been able to come up with numerous programmes and initiatives that were yielding positive results.

He further indicated that the Treat All programme accorded the champions opportunity to to sensitise the public more about the initiative and persuading them to enrol so that their lives could be changed for the better.

For her part, the District AIDS coordinator for Kweneng, Ms Keitumetse Phuthologang said the champions of Treat All campaign would enable the district to be in a better position while developing plans.

“As champions you are dispatched to the community to encourage them to test for HIV and enrol for Anti-Retroviral Treatment. It has come to our knowledge that most of the people who test positive do not enrol for the treatment. Some of them after enrolling do not stay in the treatment due to their known reasons,” she said.

Ms Phuthologang added that as the champions they had been engaged to close that gap given their responsibility to highlight the importance of the treatment.

In an interview, one of the champions said the treat all campaign is a life saver for those who adhered to the dos and donts of the programme.
Ms Amogelang Mogafe who is openly living with HIV revealed that communities were not well equipped with information. Ends