Minister John Seakgosing must go

| Wednesday October 10, 2012 00:00

The reported shortage of drugs should be understood within the context of lack of political will to combat HIV/AIDS by the current regime. It also proves beyond doubt that the Minister of Health Dr John Seakgosi is incompetent, haphazard and unfit for the job. The BCPYL wants government to explain why drugs worth millions of Pula have been incinerated numerous times whilst there appears to be a shortage of other drugs. The procurement process and or planning of government must be scrutinised. The BCPYL is of the view that Reverend Seakgosing must resign as minister as he bears political responsibility for the crisis. The President must fire him if he doesnt resign.  Deaths, HIV/AIDS related diseases and or drug resistance are inevitable aftermaths of the ARVs scarsitiy.

The shortage of ARVs in government facilities means that the youth, the poor and the marginlised communities have been or will be adversely affected as they do not have other means of accessing the life saving drugs. The government must get the message that its legitimacy rests on its ability to cater for its citizens, including in matters of health. Health is a right, not a priviledge as the government appears to think, enshrined in Article 25 of the 1948 United Nations Universal Declararation of Human Rights Health. The right to health by Batswana entails the right to prevention, treatment and control of diseases and access to essential medicines such as ARVs.  The BCPYL is deeply concerned by the lackadaisical attitude of President Ian Khama and his government on matters of HIV/AIDS. Compared to former President Festus Mogae, Khama is not keen on issues of HIV/AIDS and his political will on the same is suspect. Not so long ago, government set up a task force to evaluate the modalities of ARV treatment cost sharing scheme under the pretext that provision of free ARVs is not sustainable.

The government should get the message that Botswana still has an innate HIV/AIDS epidemic in terms of magnitude and exigency.  Before the advent of ARVs, the country was faced with the loss of adults in their productive years with dire economic consequences. Families were pushed into poverty through the costs of HIV/AIDS medical care, loss of income, and funerals. Local and international epidemiological studies still place Botswana among countries most affected by HIV/AIDS. In response to the epidemic, Botswana outstands as the first African country to aim to provide ARVs to all its needy citizens. Under Mogae, the success of this treatment programme made Botswana an example for other African nations to follow. Although the country has achieved universal treatment access (that is at least 80 percent of those who need HIV treatment are receiving it), the country continues to face great challenges from the diseases.

Therefore, we need not lose focus, lest we go back to the years when the nation faced near-extinction from AIDS.Khama's endeavour to introduce cost sharing for ARVs and the current shortage of ARVs must be strongly condemned. While it is agreed that the country has experienced economic contraction due to the global economic meltdown in the past years, this cannot justify sacrificing the health sector. The league is of the view that Botswana must get her priorities right and reduce spending in certain sections of the security sector and address non-conventional or human security challenges such as HIV/AIDS.

The country should adequately address extravagant spending, corruption and diversify its economy and generate wealth, to avert sacrificing health under the pretext that the country is broke.  No economy can function well without a healthy people. The same economy that the government purports to protect is the same economy that may be devastated by counterproductive health policies and incompetent leaders such as Minister Seakgosing. If indeed there is a need to evaluate ARV treatment, especially the issue of cost sharing, there is a need for all relevant stakeholders to take part. Government does not hold the monopoly of truth and or wisdom. Besides, those with medical insurance and other personal health policy schemes or means have been and are still sharing health costs with the government. Botswana needs the highest possible political commitment to manage the HIV/AIDS scourge. It needs strong and committed leadership to lead a broad multi-sectoral response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Dithapelo Keorapetse