Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Reuters NewMedia - Thursday December 3, 2003
The sparsely populated, landlocked country in southern Africa is one of the continent's richest nations head for head thanks to rich deposits of diamonds and other minerals.
But close to 40 percent of adults have HIV/AIDS -- the highest prevalence in the world.
"Although Botswana has one of the strongest economies in Africa, its prosperity could soon be wiped out by AIDS," said Piot, executive director of UNAIDS.
"AIDS prevention programs, particularly targeting young people, must be scaled up dramatically if we want to keep future generations HIV-free," he said in a statement issued after a World AIDS Day event in Francistown, northeast of the capital Gaborone.
Botswana has one of the most developed AIDS programs in Africa, and Piot said it was the first country in the world to offer antiretroviral (ARV) drugs free to help control the spread and effects of AIDS among its 1.7 million people.
Botswana's AIDS program, backed by drug companies and donors such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has drawn praise from campaigners around the world, but UNAIDS said in its statement that infections were showing no sign of leveling off.
The statement gave no reason for the continued rise, but health workers say few people come forward for HIV-testing, which experts note is the first step to curbing the disease.
Piot told national television that 12,000 people were now receiving the drugs. Health workers, though, estimate that as many as 110,000 sufferers are eligible for ARV therapy.
President Festus Mogae said it was now up to ordinary Batswana to make sure they take full advantage of the treatment on offer -- or face the consequences.
"Unless each and every one of us takes it upon ourselves to utilize the free antiretroviral therapy, the HIV testing and the prevention of mother to child transmission services that are available, we have only ourselves to blame for our suffering," he said.
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