A heavy burden, across many rivers borne

Barely a decade after the first case was positively identified in Selebi-Phikwe in 1985, HIV had silently risen to become the single greatest existential threat to Botswana. It would also, naturally, become the public health sector’s single greatest challenge, one requiring the most urgent deployment of funds to restrain.

Following pronouncements by former President Festus Mogae, Ntwa e Bolotse was the rallying call and HIV shot to prominence in the public spending priorities.