Speaking at the commemoration of World AIDS Day in Tlokweng on Sunday, the VP explained that if left unattended, those issues would continue to make certain segments of the population vulnerable to HIV infections and defeat the country’s efforts to fight against HIV and AIDS. He added that the country made significant strides regarding interventions related to human rights programming. He said they conducted a Legal Environment Assessment (LEA) on HIV, Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) and AIDS in 2017, which looked into all regulatory frameworks that impede access to HIV/Sexual Reproductive Health/AIDS prevention, treatment, care, and support services.
"Overall, the assessment revealed that Botswana has progressive laws and policies that support the rights of citizens. The LEA assessment recommended that collaboration between stakeholders such as lawmakers, the judiciary, the police, traditional leaders, and private legal practitioners must be strengthened to remove human rights barriers. The assessment, furthermore, called for the provision of pro bono legal services to the less privileged members of society, reduction of gender and social inequalities in our communities to curb HIV and AIDS incidents."
"Our country has established a Human Rights Unit within the National AIDS and Health Promotion Agency (NAHPA), with the support of one of our development partners in the HIV response, the Global Fund. The Unit has thus far facilitated the development and implementation of a five-year national comprehensive plan to remove human rights and gender-related barriers to HIV and AIDS services," he explained.
He further explained that through this initiative, NAHPA continues to monitor laws, policies, and regulations related to HIV and AIDS, offering support to various stakeholders in implementing human rights programs. Gaolathe also highlighted that, in response to the epidemic, the government established comprehensive prevention, treatment, care, and support programmes, including HIV testing services, Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission, Antiretroviral Therapy, Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision, community-based care, and behaviour change communication initiatives. He said those programmes had borne fruits and continue to be implemented nationally with the support of their partners. He also stated that those programmes, that seek to curb the spread of HIV and AIDS included non-citizens of Botswana too.
"I'm pleased to note that Botswana has made remarkable progress in the attainment of the UNAIDS fast track targets of 95-95-95, with the first being a target percentage of all people who are HIV positive and know their status, the second being a percentage of those who have been diagnosed and are on Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART), and the third being a target percentage of those whose viral load has been suppressed owing to ART. The country has surpassed the targets and stands at 95%-98%-98% amongst the 15 to 64-year-olds living with HIV. We have, therefore, become a beacon of hope and an example of resilience, commitment and innovation. However, the battle is not yet over, which means that collectively we need to close the remaining gap of 5-2-2, to get to 100-100-100," he added.
For his part, the United Nations (UN) country resident coordinator Zia Choudhury said Botswana achieved a remarkable milestone in the fight against HIV. He added that the country exceeded the 95-95-95 targets, reduced AIDS-related deaths and completed its HIV and TB sustainability roadmaps saying those were testaments to the resilience of its people, the commitment of its leaders and the invaluable contributions of civil societies and NGOs. He added that together they brought them closer to ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. He said whilst celebrating those successes, they must be vigilant. He further stated that across the globe and in the country, gaps persisted. He added that key populations including young women, children and marginalised communities often faced barriers to accessing services due to structural inequalities such as poverty, gender-based violence and lack of education.
"These aren't only the statistics, they represent real lives and real struggles. At the same time, global funding for HIV programs is shifting. Middle-income countries like Botswana face increased pressure to sustain progress with reduced donor support. This calls for innovative financing and heater investment for greater investment from the government, private sector and international partners. A strong commitment to efficiency, sustainability and accountability to ensure the gains we have made aren't lost," he said.
Giving his welcome remarks, Kgosi Puso Gaborone said this year in Tlokweng, 4,820 people were on ART, with an impressive viral suppression rate of 99%. He added that when it comes to the Prevention of Mother-To-Child-Transmission (PMTCT). Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) had 100% uptake ensuring no babies were tested HIV positive. He added that on the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) 236 individuals are on PrEP. He further stated that between April and September 2024, 4,090 people were tested for HIV. He said while there were significant strides in the fight against HIV there were also challenges such as high STI rates of about 3,757 cases and deaths teenage pregnancy rate of 6.3 percent, and low partner testing at 34%.
