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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
Our digital safety is in our hands

That sounds like good news. But the report also warns that this may simply be because our digital economy is still young, not because we are safe. As more people shop, bank and pay online, criminals will follow.We Batswana do not need a report to tell us that danger is real. Many of us have heard of or fallen victim to KYC scams. A caller impersonates your bank or mobile money provider. They say they need to “verify” your account. They ask...

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