Tens of thousands accessing anti-AIDS treatment

Botswana says it has successfully enrolled over 34,000 HIV-positive people in its national anti-AIDS treatment programme in just under three years. As a result, the diamond-rich country not only has the largest number of people on treatment, but also represents about nine percent of all people on antiretroviral therapy in the developing world. Doctor Patson Mazonde, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, noted that treatment was now available in 32 sites across the country. "What is even more promising is the fact that we have already exceeded our targets, in terms of patient enrolment. We currently have over 27,000 patients receiving treatment, versus our initial target of 22,000," Mazonde said in a statement. The country's AIDS prevalence rate is estimated at just over 35 percent.