The 2006 survey carried out among adults who have received home based testing by a team from Botswana-Baylor Children's Clinical Centre of Excellence through their community outreach, explored the feelings of the community, and indicated that over 28 percent of the people would never have tested for HIV had the team not visited their homes.
Executive director Professor Gabriel Anabwani said at a briefing yesterday that the centre's community outreach project was targeted at 1,000 orphan and vulnerable children (OVC) in the greater Gaborone from disadvantaged communities. The team in addition targeted adults in the community who were caretakers. He revealed that they wanted to bring services closer to the community. Anabwani said a majority of community members were willing to be tested. They registered more than a thousand and screened close to 700 for HIV. Of those tested, 63 percent had not taken the test before and a whopping 97 percent said they would recommend home based HIV testing to others. Access to these communities was made possible through community based organisations of Bana ba Keletso in Molepolole, Tirisanyo Catholic Commission in Mogoditshane and Gabane Community Home Based Care Society, and brought services to OVC, their siblings and family members. The centre of excellence is the first paediatric facility in Africa that treats and cares for HIV infected and affected children.
