Homes to become new front in the AIDS war

KEOBONYE MAJATSIE
Correspondent | Wednesday October 10, 2012 00:00

 

BAIS IV, whose key aspect is cessation of new infections, will also establish the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate and the prevalence of non-communicable diseases, such as TB, in Botswana.NACA will carry out the survey in conjunction with other stakeholders, such as Statistics Botswana and the Ministry of Health. NACA says the results of 2012 BAIS IV will allow for assessment of trends in prevalence rates and behavioural risk factors, as well as provide updates of national and international indicators. The survey will also be used to assess the impact of national programme performance and provide the basis for evidence-based strategic planning and future research.MNACA's Manager for Research Monitoring and Evaluation, Mpho Mmelesi, told a full Gaborone City Council meeting recently that visits would be made to people in their homes and ask for permission from parents and guardians to conduct the survey.

'We call upon parents and Batswana in general to cooperate with us in carrying out this study,' she said, adding that precautionary measures would be taken when the need arose.Those involved in the study will get their results from health facilities within six weeks.However, the study will only target private dwellings and not prisons, hospitals, army barracks and hotels, among common places. Citizens and non-citizens who normally live in households will be tested while non-citizens and tourists will be excluded. The study, which will be covered within two months of fieldwork, is expected to start on January 15 and end on March 15 next year. NACA says 415 households from 301 Census Enumeration Areas and approximately 17,000 individuals aged 10 to 64 years and 21,000 individuals aged six months will be covered.

The study will target breastfeeding mothers and their six weeks old babies. NACA says the primary objective of the study is to update current information on the behavioural patterns of the population aged 10-64 years.According to NACA, this will help determine the HIV prevalence and incidence rates for the population aged six weeks and above and the information gathered will be used for national HIV programme planning and guide future AIDS research.The study will, among others, focus on parental survival and fostering, employment and other economic characteristics, household characteristics, healthcare and support.Individual questions will include background demographic information, alcohol consumption and drug abuse, sexual history and behaviour, knowledge of HIV and of access to interventions, attitudes towards gender issues and counselling, childbearing and antenatal care and other chronic and communicable diseases.

In its drive to sensitise and create awareness among members of the public and to maximize participation in BAIS IV, NACA will address full council meetings, press conferences, design a logo/brand for the survey, produce and distribute promotional material, produce radio jingles and TV programmes, sms alerts, and newspaper inserts.NACA has also revealed that prevalence for the Chobe District, which used to be the highest, has decreased from 29.4 percent in 2004 to 23.0 percent in 2008. Another notable decrease is observed among Kweneng West and Kgalagadi North districts which recorded the lowest prevalence in 2004. (SPA)