CSOs unhappy with HIV/AIDS campaign arrangement

CALISTUS KOLANTSHO
Correspondent | Friday June 21, 2013 00:00

The bone of contention is over the upcoming HIV testing and counselling campaign that will start on July 22 ending on August 9. Speaking on behalf of other Selebi Phikwe  CSOs, Monitoring and Evaluation officer at Children, Women and HIV/AIDS Organisation, Batshabeng Keopetswe said the implementation part is not the idea that was sold to them.  Other CSOs active in Selebi Phikwe are Lesea Bokamoso, Phikwe Theatre, Good Samaritan, Positive Living, Helper Cells, Silence Kills, Men&Sex AIDS and Humana People to People.

Keopetswe stated in an interview with Mmegi that he was not happy with the decision taken by DHMT officials after they made them plan and do so much with the proviso that CSOs were not going to be used and left with nothing to benefit from the campaign. He revealed that DHMT is only focusing on volunteers and as for people who will be doing other activities like preparations, monitoring and evaluation amongst others, they are not catered for.However, DHMT Head of Preventive Services in Selebi-Phikwe, Pontsho Keretetse stated that it was important for the CSOs to be part of the campaign. She said the government decided to come up with the HIV campaign after realising that many people did not know their HIV status. She explained that five districts, being Kgalagadi South, South East, Kweneng East, Bobirwa and Selebi-Phikwe have been selected to take part in the campaign. Keretetse said the plan is to start off by training health workers and CSOs. She stated that the intention is for the campaign to reach as many people as possible.She explained that they will be training 30 people on couple HIV testing and 30 on HIV testing and counseling. She noted that Bobirwa will also have the same numbers. She added that with such numbers and the number of health workers they currently have, they will be able to achieve their mandate.

Keretetse said that they cannot encourage people to come in many numbers when they do not have the capacity, hence the need to conduct training.'We are working together with CSOs so that we reach many residents of Selebi-Phikwe. We are going to have temporary testing centres in Botshabelo, Ikageleng, Western area and Thakadiawa areas. 'We want to make sure that the testing areas are brought to the people,' said Keretetse.She said that they have realised that there are still new infections that are recorded and that many people do not know their HIV status.  Keretetse said when people know their status, they can make informed decisions. She pointed out that the country also gets to know the rate of HIV infections to date.