27 Jun 2023

The valuable partnership between Botswana and Baylor College of Medicine International Paediatrics AIDS initiative (Botswana-Baylor), which was launched in June 2003 has contributed to the remarkable achievement in the country’s fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

This was said by First Lady, Ms Neo Masisi, at the 20th Anniversary Celebration of Botswana-Baylor Children’s Clinical Centre of Excellence on Monday.

Ms Masisi said Botswana-Baylors’s valuable partnership had contributed to Botswana, as the high burden country, to be certified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and acknowledged to win the path to elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV as it attained the Silver Tier status in 2021.

Still through the partnership, she said last year, Botswana also became the first African country to achieve the United Nation’s Programme on HIV/AIDS’s (UNAIDS) 95-95-95 target, ahead of time.

As such, she expressed gratitude to Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, as well as material support from Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, saying through the entities’ valuable partnership and support, Botswana managed to achieve several milestones, which gave the country hope in its HIV/AIDS response.

“In Baylor, our country has found a worthy partner whose support has been unwavering and consistent over the two decades. We remain humbled by this show of support and appreciate your determination and zeal in putting our children and families first,” she said.

She added that the event themed: “Celebrating the past, Looking into the future: Two decades of prioritising health, research, inclusiveness and partnerships”, was worthy of celebrating as it was a milestone that represented hope, demonstrated high care and expertise, partnership and international recognition.

Ms Masisi also expressed gratitude that Botswana-Baylor’s core foundation still remained relevant, even today, since it was founded in the country in 2003 through Public Private Partnership.

At that time, she said, the country was going through the most challenging time dealing with the HIV/AIDS pandemic when resources were scarce and programmes were few.

She added that during that time, research was also limited given the country’s small and overwhelmed population.

“At the time, children and adults were the most affected, losing lives in large numbers.

The organisation was therefore formed to fill this gap in providing care to the most vulnerable,” she said.

Further, she said more services were added over time as identified by the Ministry of Health to include children’s cancer and blood disorders, maternal child health, cancer vaccine development and logistics support.

“Therefore, given all Botswana-Baylor’s achievements, celebrating its 20 years anniversary is an important milestone as it was a giant institution that has made a huge difference in the lives of many of our people, as part of a larger success story captured in Botswana’s history of HIV/AIDS response,” she said.

In his remarks, Global Health director at Texas Children’s Hospital, Mr Michael Mizwa thanked Ms Masisi for her advocacy, as well as Botswana-Baylor executive director, Prof. Mogomotsi Matshaba for his leadership.

Mr Mizwa said for a centre of excellence to succeed and realise its intended mandate, it required everyone’s commitment to serve to ensure the health of children and families.

“It takes advocates to drive our agendas in HIV and peadiatric cancer, advocates like First Lady Neo. It takes visionaries and leaders like Prof. Matshaba, a lot of resources and staff and volunteers too. For that, we thank all our partners at Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation and Princess Marina Hospital,” he said.

In a vote of thanks, Minister of Health, Dr Edwin Dikoloti, described Botswana Baylor as God sent, adding that the country’s war against HIV/AIDS could not have been won without the support and active participation of Botswana-Baylor and its partners.

“Your support for our efforts in the health sector, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, and lately as we faced the shortage of pharmaceuticals, has been immeasurable. We truly thank you for all you have been to us.

Your facilitation for us to receive much needed medications at this critical time, cannot go unnoticed. We look forward to the future as the theme of today says it all, as we celebrate the past and look forward to the future with two decades of prioritising health, research inclusiveness and partnerships,” said. ENDS