Botswana, Tanzania, South Africa set a new Guinness World Record for HIV testing

Jeff Ramsay | Friday March 6, 2015 14:41

 

Within Botswana the record event specifically refers to the joint National AIDS Coordinating Agency (NACA) and Ministry of Health led initiative Maun 8 hour HIV Testing Campaign, which occurred on the 29th of November 2014. Through the Maun event Botswana contributed the biggest number to the three countries combined effort.

The Guinness citation reads:  'The most people being tested for HIV at multiple locations in eight hours is 4,367 people and was achieved by UNAIDS and the Governments of Botswana, Tanzania and South Africa, in locations across Botswana, Tanzania and South Africa, on 29 November 2014. The organisers successfully orchestrated the testing to take place across three different countries all in the same 8 hour time frame.'

Improving uptake of HIV Testing and linking it to services has long been proved to be a critical element for advancing HIV response, eliminating Mother to Child Transmission and ultimately ending AIDS.