03 Sep 2013

North East District Council chairperson has expressed concern that the district’s HIV prevalence rate of 21.8 per cent was higher than the national prevalence rate of 17.6 per cent. 

Speaking at the launch of the Month of Prayer against HIV/AIDS in Masunga, Councillor City Kealotswe called on all stakeholders to devise new means and mobilise resources to combat the spread of the virus. 

Cllr Kealotswe said gender-based violence should be rooted out in society because it also contributed to the spread of HIV and AIDS as some women were unable to negotiate for safer sex. “We cannot fight HIV without fighting gender-based violence, as it continues to fuel the spread of HIV,” he said.

However, Mr Kealotswe, who is also councillor for Mapoka was optimistic that interventions put in place were bearing fruit such as the Mother-To-Child Transmission (MTCT) because the virus had constantly been low, despite the high rate of HIV prevalence among pregnant women in the district.

He appealed to the churches to join the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic, citing prevention as the most powerful weapon they could use.

Cllr Kealotswe also thanked government for availing anti-retroviral drugs to all eligible Batswana, adding that such a move shows its eagerness to lessen the effects of the pandemic nationally. 

In his welcome remarks, Kgosi Maruje III of Masunga expressed happiness that the spirit of unity and oneness between the church and the wider community was continuing to deepen. 

He urged the church to work hard in ensuring that its role in nation building was visible. ENDS