10 Feb 2014

HIV/AIDS  remains one of the greatest health and social challenges in Botswana and the construction industry has not been spared.

This was said by the area manager of Masunga depot under the Ministry of Infrastructure, Science  and  Technology, Mr Richard Nhlabano during the ministry’s mobile population wellness  workshop at Tutume recently.

He said the voluntary  counselling  and testing  campaign held at the workshop was  to  sensitise  maintenance  workers, construction workers, field officers and  drivers who frequently go on  trips for  a period of  time.

Mr Nhlabano said the campaigns  started  in 2012/13 financial year, where  21  depots  were  grouped  and  sensitised on  various issues pertaining to  HIV and AIDS and other diseases.

He also  said  studies  have  revealed  that  migrant  work  is  associated with the spread  of HIV because  workers move from  one place to  another  and  stay  long  periods  from  their  partners.

This long absence, he noted, leads to the workers establishing  new  temporary  sexual  relationships  within the communities they are working  in. These  sexual  behaviours, coupled  with unsafe sex practices, predispose them  to HIV infections. ENDS