04 Apr 2019

Selebi Phikwe District Health Management Team (DHMT) is appealing to residents of Selebi Phikwe to participate in the fifth Botswana HIV/AIDS Impact Survey (BAIS V) And Tuberculosis (TB) Prevalence Survey.

The team’s monitoring and evaluation officer Mr Lesego Oduetse informed residents at a kgotla meeting held at Kagiso ward that the BAIS V merged with the TB Prevalence Survey with the aim to examine the distribution of HIV in the country.

The survey, which just kick-started, will also try to assess health seeking behaviour for TB related symptoms of individuals aged 15 and above and will also determine point prevalence of bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary TB in the country.

Mr Oduetse said the fifth BAIS would target 16 000 people, while the TB Prevalence Survey would target 38 000 people in 172 enumeration areas.

He said those who would participate in the HIV processes include a usual member or a visitor who spent the night in the household prior to the start of enumeration aged six weeks and above.

For TB processes, a usual member or visitor who has lived in the household for 14 days or more aged 15 years and above. 

Both surveys will entail household interviews where the head of the family will be interviewed followed by individual interviews and blood collection.

If the individual consents to blood draw, rapid HIV Testing will be done and individuals given the opportunity to know their HIV status.

Furthermore, individual consent for TB processes will be given invitation to the TB station for sputum collection.

Mr Oduetse said both surveys would help in the fight against HIV/AIDS and TB, adding that those who test positive would be referred to health facilities for medical treatment.

He said the HIV epidemic constituted a serious health challenge and remained one of the leading causes of adult morbidity and mortality in the country.

He said TB was the commonest opportunistic infection among people living with HIV.

The survey will be conducted by the Ministry of Health and Wellness in partnership with Statistics Botswana and other stakeholders.

For their part, residents of Kagiso thanked the government for undertaking the fifth BAIS to address HIV/AIDS challenge in the country.

They promised to help the government by taking part in the survey. ENDS