10 Dec 2023

Kgosi Tachenama Maphorisa of  Tati-town in Francistown  has raised concern about  people who are ignoring the fact that HIV/AIDS is still prevalent.

 She was speaking during the Francistown AIDS Day Commemoration at the City of Francistown Council recently.

 Kgosi Maphorisa said that the continued abuse of alcohol was  an obstacle to Botswana’s goal of becoming an HIV-free nation.

 Additionally, she highlighted that irresponsible drinking and drug abuse often led to irrational decisions such as engaging in unprotected sex. Hence, she urged all attendees to take action in the fight against HIV/AIDS, emphasising the importance of knowing one’s status and prioritising personal well-being.

 Mr Dennis Keagile, the Coca Cola Beverages logistics manager for the North, expressed shock over the high number of teenage pregnancies, tuberculosis cases, low uptake of safe male circumcision, increased attrition of anti-retroviral clients due to defaulting, and rising cases of sexually transmitted infections in Francistown.

  According to Mr Keagile, between January 2023 and September 2023, approximately 22,862 people (19.1 per cent of the population) in Francistown were living with HIV and undergoing treatment, 612 individuals were newly enrolled into treatment, and 706 were lost to follow-up.

  In addition, he said there were 8,590 cases of sexually transmitted infections and 188 teenage pregnancies (including 4 pregnancies involving girls under 15 years old). Mr Keagile said that behavior change remained a sustainable approach to ending AIDS by 2030 and encouraged everyone to contribute to the nation’s response to HIV/AIDS. “Prevention is our most powerful weapon against this epidemic, A re chencheng!” he added.

 Ms Nonofo Seobakeng, the Botswana Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Support Centre district coordinator, highlighted the correlation between HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence (GBV). She pointed out that in most cases, GBV was either caused by HIV/AIDS or was a contributing factor. Ends