The campaign that was launched in Selebi-Phikwe yesterday is necessary since the ministry had observed a serious decline in the number of couples and individuals testing for HIV/AIDS.Selebi-Phikwe District Health Management Team Coordinator Dr Joseph Sharma said the campaign was meant to increase the number of clients accessing HIV testing and counselling services from 56.4 percent that was recorded in 2008 to 70 percent by end of 2014.He acknowledged that achieving the 70 percent target in 2014 was a challenge that can be achieved if all the objectives of the campaign were addressed.
The campaign further seeks to increase testing and counselling among the male population and the youth by 24 percent in 2014.Sharma noted that the success of the campaign in Selebi Phikwe and Bobirwa would give opportunities to the ministry of health for cascading the strategies of implementation to other districts in Botswana. He further highlighted that HIV/AIDS remains one of the deadliest health and social challenges with a percentage of 17.6 percent in the general population and 25 percent in sexually active people and 30.4 percent in pregnant women.
