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Police service not spared by HIV/AIDS

    JOHANNESBURG

    The Botswana Police Service (BPS) has not been spared the negative impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, a top police official has said.

    Deputy Commissioner Thebeyame Tsimako said service and delivery had already been affected as many officers took ill or died of AIDS-related illnesses.

    A 2003 study undertaken by the International Labour Organisation revealed that across all occupational sectors in sub-Saharan Africa, it has become increasingly difficult to replace skilled and unskilled labour lost to HIV/AIDS.

    The local Mmegi online news service quoted Tsimako as saying: "To halt and reverse the destructive tide of HIV/AIDS, a more dynamic, determined and radical response is required; to do less may well spell disaster for the country."

    He warned that Botswana's population was young and small, and if not properly tackled, the long-term effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic could be "colossal".

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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