1. Home
  2. Africa

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.


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

Share this article

Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian

Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

Join