US spends P6bn in HIV/AIDS fight
Patricia Edwin | Thursday September 4, 2014 15:43
The US Embassy Charge d’Affaires Michael Murphy said this when he officially opened the New Directions in Global Health workshop held in Sowa Town this week.
The ongoing workshop was organised by the US Embassy together with DMSAC and MISA Botswana. The workshop is being held under the theme, ‘New Directions in Global Health: Sustainability and Progress in Achieving an AIDS Free Generation.’
Murphy said that while the government of Botswana has contributed a lion’s share of the total investment necessary to fight HIV and AIDS here, the American contribution in this joint effort over the last 10 years has totalled more than $700 million.
“Together we have accomplished a lot,” he said. He said that new infections have dropped 71 percent since 2001 and prevention-of-mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) coverage has reached an impressive 97.5 percent.
“Botswana’s provision of free anti-retroviral treatment to its citizens has become a model for the rest of Africa and frankly for the world.
“Today Botswana is one of a few countries where the HIV epidemic has passed the tipping point, the point where for every one new person on treatment there is less than one person newly infected,” he said.
Murphy said that in the beginning when President George Bush announced the goal of putting two million people on treatment under PEPFAR it was thought to be impossible.
“But through the power of partnerships with host country, NGOs and civil society together we were able to help more patients get access to antiretroviral treatment and prevent new infections,” he said.
He said that worldwide PEPFAR has provided over 6.7 million women, men and children with access to life-saving treatment and nearly 1.3 million babies have been born HIV free.
Murphy said that though the figures tell a story that there is change in the course of the epidemic, the job is not done.
“Every single day in Botswana, 45 people become infected with HIV. That is about 16,000 new infections every year.
“We are still in the foot race between complacency and hope in the control of the HIV epidemic. If we become complacent and lose focus our tremendous gains achieved can unravel,” he stated.
He further said that the stakeholders must continue to invest in evidence-based high impact interventions and advocate for effective health policies if the goal of zero new infections in Botswana is to be realised.
Murphy went on to say that an AIDS free generation cannot be achieved if the government cannot finance it, nor will the government succeed if they cannot purchase, procure and then distribute the materials required to support health interventions.
“Our health partnership going forward will reflect these realities and this means that we need systematic ways of monitoring, coordinating and tracking resource requirements and expenditures,” said Murphy.
According to the Charge d’Affaires they will also advocate for the necessary legislation, regulations and structures that allow the private sector and civil society to play a larger role in service delivery.
“If we do this right, we will expand the reach of our high impact high quality HIV interventions and reduce the financial burden on an already strained public health system,” he added.