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HIV prevention – New injection could boost the fight, but some hurdles remain

Mixed fortunes: Health Minister, Edwin Dikoloti is reaping accolades for the injectable ARV and strides in the achievement of other HIV targets. He however is also under pressure to improve supply of medicines for other diseases for Botswana PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO
Mixed fortunes: Health Minister, Edwin Dikoloti is reaping accolades for the injectable ARV and strides in the achievement of other HIV targets. He however is also under pressure to improve supply of medicines for other diseases for Botswana PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO

While the world has focused on the COVID pandemic for nearly three years, less and less attention is being paid to HIV.

However, HIV is still a global problem. In 2021, according to the United Nations, 38.4 million people were living with HIV, over 650,000 died from AIDS-related illnesses, and 1.5 million became newly infected.

Nearly 70% of infections occur in key groups: sex workers and their clients, men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, and transgender people and their sexual partners. Adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa are another important group, with nearly 5,000 getting HIV every week.

Editor's Comment
Depression is real; let's take care of our mental health

It is not uncommon in this part of the world for parents to actually punish their children when they show signs of depression associating it with issues of indiscipline, and as a result, the poor child will be lashed or given some kind of punishment. We have had many suicide cases in the country and sadly some of the cases included children and young adults. We need to start looking into issues of mental health with the seriousness it...

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