22 Sep 2026

Tsabong District, among 10 other districts where Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) has been rolled out, recently held its PrEP launch aimed at empowering communities to take greater responsibility for their health and make informed choices about HIV prevention.

Held under the theme: My Choice, My Protection, My Future, the campaign seeks to revitalise Primary Health Care services by strengthening disease prevention, health promotion, early detection and timely response to community health needs. 

It also aims to scale up combination HIV prevention and routine wellness screening while promoting health facilities that are welcoming, stigma-free and respectful of patients’ dignity.

Speaking at the launch, Botswana University of Maryland School of Medicine Health Initiative (Bummhi) chief executive officer, Dr Ndwapi Ndwapi, said Botswana had made significant progress in responding to HIV, but prevention efforts needed to match the achievements made in treatment.

Dr Ndwapi said although HIV was no longer causing the level of illness and loss experienced in the early years of the epidemic, the country should not become complacent as HIV transmission continued, particularly among young people.

He said effective prevention tools, including condoms, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, safe male circumcision, oral PrEP and the newer long-acting injectable PrEP, provided communities with different options to protect themselves against HIV.

According to Dr Ndwapi, long-acting injectable PrEP was an important advancement because it gave people another choice in HIV prevention and could provide protection for several months after administration.

He emphasised that PrEP did not replace condoms, which also protect against other sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy. 

He therefore encouraged young people to seek information from health workers and choose prevention methods suitable for their circumstances.

Dr Ndwapi further encouraged communities to adopt a holistic approach to their health by making routine wellness screening part of their everyday lives.

He urged people not to wait until they were seriously ill before seeking medical attention, encouraging them to test for HIV and screen for conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes. 

He noted that people seeking HIV services could also have other health conditions, making integrated services important in addressing the health needs of the whole person. He also called for health facilities and communities to create an environment where people could access services without fear, shame or discrimination.

Dr Ndwapi said the fight against HIV also required a multi-sectoral approach involving government, traditional leaders, parents, teachers, churches, community leaders, health workers and development partners. He said such collaboration was necessary to create an environment in which people could freely access health services and make informed decisions about their health.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Kgalagadi South, Mr Tokyo Modise, said his top priority was the establishment of a referral hospital in the constituency.

Mr Modise said having a referral hospital in Kgalagadi South would contribute toward improving the delivery of health services in the district and bring essential specialised services closer to residents. For his part, Tsabong District Council chairperson, Mr Elias Motlhanke encouraged community members to take the initiative in protecting themselves against HIV and other health challenges.

Mr Motlhanke stressed that prevention was a shared responsibility, urging individuals to take care of themselves and their partners. 

“Let’s take care of each other and protect our partners,” he emphasised. The PrEP campaign is therefore expected to complement existing HIV prevention interventions while strengthening the community’s use of primary health care and routine wellness services.  ends