08 Aug 2013

Campaigns against HIV and AIDS are no longer intensive while several civil organisations that played a role have also closed shop leading to the prevalence rate remaining high, the MP for Tonota North, Fidelis Molao, has observed.

Debating the National HIV and AIDS policy in parliament on August 7, MP Molao said the government should research about the collapsed civil groups and see how it can assist them as they played a meaningful role in the fight against the pandemic.

He said Home Based Care volunteers play a meaningful role and thus called for them to be trained so they do not only care for the sick, but educate communities on how they can take care of themselves as well.

While public campaigns are no longer intensive, condoms are also not distributed in public places like they used to, the MP said.

He also said the government can no longer ignore the number of foreigners in the country saying something must be done to assist them especially as they are involved in relationships with Batswana.

Mahalapye MP Bernard Bolele had asked the MP if he was aware of medical tourists to which the Tonota North legislator said the number is not high to cause alarm.

Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration asked him if the numbers of foreigners can stimulate the costs.

MP Molao said although it will be costly, it was better to offer foreigners assistance to ensure that those who are HIV positive do not transmit the disease to Batswana.

He further said the services offered to HIV positive people should be decentralized.

For his part, Chobe MP, Gibson Nshimwe applauded women who enroll in the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT).

He said testing should be done by Batswana doctors as foreigners require translators resulting with little room for confidentiality.

MP Nshimwe said all campaigns should be collaborative, adding that a conflict between the Ministry of Health and Botswana Network for Ethics, Law and AIDS (BONELA) was uncalled for.

He said condoms should be distributed in prisons as the country cannot ignore the fact that homosexuality is taking place.

MP Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri said he was concerned that the prevalence rate in Botswana has remained constantly high when compared with other countries.

He said accessibility to drugs has to be improved and people encouraged to test and enroll in the treatment early.

MP Matlhabaphiri further said if Botswana could reach its Safe Male Circumcision (SMC) target, the rate of transmission can decline tremendously.

He said SMC required people to undergo HIV testing, adding that circumcision also helps reduce risks to other diseases such as cervical cancer, and hence even HIV positive men can undergo the surgery.

Francistown South MP Wynter Mmolotsi said people living with HIV and AIDS no longer receive the same assistance they received several years back and the campaigns are no longer intensive.

He further said the transfers of married couples should have been included in the policy.

MP Mmolotsi said people especially those in the military and veterinary services spend a long time on trips away from their families, something which he said contributed to the spread of HIV and AIDS. The debate continues. ENDS