22 May 2022

 Botswana is on track to reach epidemic control and end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

That comes after the country recently attained the 2016-2020 and 2021-2025 global targets of 90-90-90 and 95-95-95 respectively.

 

The UNAIDS 90-90-90 strategy calls for 90 per cent of HIV-infected individuals to be diagnosed by 2020, 90 per cent of whom will be on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and 90 per cent of whom will achieve sustained virologic suppression.

The 95-95-95 strategy envisions 95 per cent of people living with HIV knowing their status; 95 per cent of whom on treatment; and 95 per cent of people on treatment with suppressed viral loads. 

 

National AIDS and Health Promotion Agency (NAHPA) coordinator, Mr Ontiretse Letlhare told the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) recently that such results indicated that the HIV positive population in the country was aging as compared to previous surveys.

Mr Letlhare attributed the results to adherence to HIV treatment, adding, ‘previously, the burden of the disease was in the younger age bracket, but has since shifted towards the older age’.

 

He indicated that 95.1 per cent of the country population that had tested knew their HIV status, while 98 per cent of those who tested positive were enrolled on treatment, with 97.9 per cent of those virally suppressed. Meanwhile, Mr Letlhare emphasised the need for NAHPA to prioritise its budget in order to continue providing health services to the nation, given that Botswana’s financial support was about to close. 

 

However, he remained optimistic that the agency would continue to support those in need, owing to government’s commitment to prioritising health services. On condom availability, Mr Letlhare was happy with the current stock levels, which he indicated would last up to six months.

 

He, however, acknowledged acute shortage of condoms around December last year, as a result of delay in procurement processes.

“Condom uptake is at three million per month and because of such high demand, it resulted in shortage. But since then there has been a smooth transition and NAHPA will ensure stock availability,” he said.

 

He also told PAC that Botswana was looking into having a condom manufacturing plant to address challenges that may come as a result of high demand.

“Botswana does not manufacture condoms and the only plant has closed down. So it will be good to have our own plant,” he said.

 

Mr Letlhare was responding to questions raised by MP for Bobonong, Mr Taolo Lucas, who had wanted to know the situation regarding shortage of condoms and supply in the country and if the use of the female condom had results. Ends