Local HIV facilities impress SADC experts
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Wednesday December 10, 2014 14:50
The experts were part of a recent USAIDS/UNFPA regional meeting held over two days in Gaborone. The officials toured Otse Health Post, Mochudi Clinic One, Khudumelapye Clinic and Sesung Health Post, as part of their assessment of Botswana’s SRHR and HIV facilities.
During the tours, different representatives hailed the country’s determination to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of halting and reversing the spread of HIV-related infections and deaths.
“I was excited when I saw Mochudi Clinic because I did not know what to expect when I got there. I was mostly fascinated by the facility’s efforts to bring men and the youth on board,” one expert said.
The expert said they were told that men were encouraged to participate in reproduction and family planning initiatives and that since then, partner counselling has improved.
“Now couples, including those who are expecting, have started going for counselling, testing and check ups together. These steps are very important, especially when it comes to HIV issues,” he said.
Stepping Stones International, a Non-Governmental Organisation based in Mochudi, was also praised for its ‘New Father’ initiative where fathers are encouraged to bond with their partners and children.
While Stepping Stones’ initiative is due to end soon, the visiting health experts noted that government has a track record of taking over HIV projects once NGOs leave them.
The visiting delegation also praised Botswana for the strides taken towards eliminating stigma surrounding those infected by HIV/AIDS.
“We were also impressed by the fact that people living with HIV are not isolated. Here, patients stand in one queue which makes it hard to know what a client came for,” the experts noted.
The delegation also noted the involvement of community members in the roll-out of SRHR and HIV services, which has been successful in tailor-making interventions for beneficiaries.
Challenges that still need to be addressed include the need to include more men in SRHR and HIV programmes, as well as the youth education on sexual reproduction and risky behaviour.
“The ministry needs to come up with innovative ways to talk to young people about reproduction and HIV issues as they are the ones mostly affected by teenage pregnancies, HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections,” a member of the delegation stated.
Responding to the comments, Ministry of Health deputy permanent secretary, Shenaaz El-Halabi, said the new Adolescents Sexual Reproduction Health strategy was specifically designed to target youths on SRHR and HIV issues. She added that government will roll out more initiatives. “We intend to build youth friendly clinics where we will train as many nurses as possible.
We also have a Men’s Sector coordinator within the ministry and outreach services, which encourages referral systems,” she said.