HIV/AIDS and Disability in Botswana
It has now been established that there is an urgent need to address the issue of HIV/AIDS and People with Disabilities. The World Bank has launched a Global Survey on HIV/AIDS and Disability, which shows that, “All risk factors associated with HIV are increased for individuals with disability.”[1]
In Botswana, the government conducted a second national survey on the impact of HIV/AIDS in 2004, which showed a high HIV prevalence rate of 17.1% nationwide and pointed out the weakness of the national response to HIV/AIDS at the community level.[2] The following year, the Ministry of Health commissioned a survey on people with disabilities and HIV/AIDS in Botswana, which was conducted between January and April 2005. The survey revealed that people with disabilities were not routinely a part of HIV/AIDS outreach efforts at the community level and that they were not specifically targeted as at higher risk within the Botswana national policy and HIV/AIDS strategy papers.”[3]
[1] HIV/AIDS & Disability: Capturing Hidden Voices, p.9 April 2004
[2] Botswana AIDS Impact Survey – BAIS II report, Ministry of Health, February 2005
[3] Report of the Survey of HIV/AIDS Awareness, Education and Needs of People with Disabilities in Botswana, Rehabilitation Services Division, Ministry of Health, June 2005
