HIV/AIDS budget shoots to P1.3bn - Khama

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Thursday December 2, 2010 00:00

 

Khama said this in his speech marking World AIDS Day in Palapye. In a week that saw the President announcing that the alcohol levy is raised from 30 to 40 percent, Khama yet again identified alcohol as a major contributing factor to the spread of HIV AIDS in the country and the rest of Africa. Khama said although adults in Botswana used to consume alcohol as a form of pastime after a good day's production, those times are gone.

The President said Botswana still lags behind when it comes to translating knowledge and information on HIV and AIDS into behavioural change, as well as scaling up HIV-testing.

On a positive note, the President announced that HIV and AIDS-related deaths in the country have declined over the last eight years. Quoting the National 2010 Estimates and Projections Report, Khama said the total number of AIDS deaths dropped from about 15,000 in 2003 to about 6,000 in 2010.

He also said over 151,000 people are now on anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs), describing it as a success.

The President also said currently up to 97 percent of infants born to HIV positive mothers are born free of HIV.

'This is partly due to our concerted efforts in increasing Prevention-of-Mother-To-Child Transmission coverage from 34.3 percent in 2003 to the present level of 95 percent.'

Khama also said it was pleasing that the Botswana HIV/AIDS Impact Survey III results show that HIV-Prevalence, among the 15-19 year-olds, declined from 6.5 percent in 2004 to 3.7 percent in 2008; and from 19 percent to 12.3 percent for the 20-24 year-olds.