Get the HIV-AIDS facts right - MP

Molefhi, also the chairperson of the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDS, said the topic is littered with terminology and acronyms that require an ardent writer to be vigilant. "Whether using data to support a story or reporting on the data itself, the specific data chosen and how they are used will play significant role in determining what story you will tell," said the MP.

He said that some words like 'incidence' and 'prevalence' are used interchangeably even though they represent two different ways of measuring the epidemic. "It is therefore essential for you to first understand the context and content of the data at hand and identify its relevance to the story you would like to write," he told reporters. The MP, who once worked as a Radio Botswana broadcaster in 1978, said surveillance methods evolve over time, so data from the same source may not be the same from year to year.