09 Sep 2013

Risky behaviours such as inter-generational relationships, low safe male circumcision rates and alcohol and drug abuse remain a challenge in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

Officiating at a health fair organised by the National AIDS Coordinating Agency (NACA) in Sepopa last week, the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso said people needed to change for the nation to achieve its goal of zero new HIV infections by 2016. 

Ms Tshireletso said the nation was not making enough progress in reaching out to vulnerable populations with the message on HIV and AIDS prevention.

For example, she noted that the recent Most at Risk Population Study showed that HIV prevalence among sex workers was at 61.9 per cent. “The situation is very worrying and calls for serious intervention by all stakeholders to ensure that we reach out to all these population groups and provide them with services.” 

However, she said some efforts such as Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV were bearing fruit. She also said there had been a tremendous reduction of AIDS related deaths since the introduction of ARVs. 

Giving the district HIV/AIDS overview, Gumare Hospital Matron, Ms Dintelo Moetse said HIV and AIDS remained a challenge in their district. She said despite these challenges, they continued to provide health services for prevention programmes such as promotion of consistent, correct condom use and provision of safe male circumcision.

Ms Moetse also highlighted care, treatment and support programmes such as provision of ARVs to children, adults, orphans and vulnerable children. 

On another issues, Ms Moetse said that key issues identified in the district by the Technical Advisory Committee annual meeting to develop the 2013/14 District AIDS plan included high teenage pregnancy, low HIV testing and a high number of Sexually Transmitted Infections.  

For his part, Okavango Sub-district council chairperson, Councillor Samson Mauano thanked NACA for a health fair of such magnitude and said it would provide educational health benefits to the community.

He also applauded the assistant minister for her continued fight against poverty and the HIV/AIDS scourge. Cllr Mauano reminded the Okavango residents that the ARVs don’t cure HIV and AIDS and encouraged them to use condoms, abstain and pray. ENDS