Already a proven leader in HIV/AIDS management and control, Botswana once again blazes a new trail for the rest of the world to follow. On 3rd June 2016, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Botswana Lt. Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama launched Botswana’s Treat All Strategy. The Strategy eloquently promotes Universal Health Coverage and ensures that all who test positive get treatment no matter their viral load or CD count.

His Excellency President Khama intimated that this was yet another indication of Botswana’s commitment to the needs of her people. It is another major milestone recorded in addressing an epidemic that has had a debilitating effect on the health system and people of Botswana. President Khama reminded the gathering that Treat All comes in the wake of and complements other successful firsts such as PMTCT, routine testing and viral load monitoring as well as using optimized treatment regimens which have all propelled the country closer to achieving 90-90-90 targets.

“Botswana is again on the path to becoming the first country in Africa to gain epidemic control of HIV. What’s more important is that by taking this bold step forward, we may be able to save more than 118,000 people from being infected by HIV, and prevent more than 54,000 HIV deaths by 2030. In this way, launching the new HIV “Treat All” strategy marks one of the most important milestones for Botswana in the fight against HIV and AIDS”, His Excellency said. The President emphasized that “As a truly caring nation, health remains our priority, as only a healthy nation can bear the responsibilities of sustaining and expanding our development goals in a rapidly changing global community”.

President Khama asserted that “Botswana has served an important role as a Global leader in the Global HIV Response, always proactively adopting and adapting treatment recommendations from the World Health Organization(WHO), the global custodian of public health, to best respond to the HIV pandemic. I am reliably informed that there were instances when HIV recommendations from WHO were based upon some of the progressive interventions our clinical teams instituted, which generated important evidence that transformed global HIV management, when many affected countries were hesitant to do so.  The same applies to findings from HIV clinical trials conducted in Botswana as they have added to global knowledge on this subject matter.”

The President applauded the MoH that Treat All is coming at a time when almost all facilities are providing HIV services, task sharing is being implemented and laboratory and pharmacy systems are being optimized. He reminded all, of the importance of encouraging people including youth to prioritize prevention, behavior change and testing. His Excellency thanked WHO, UNAIDS PEPFAR and development partners for continued support and encouraged the community to utilize available services.

Earlier, the Minister of Health, Honourable Dorcus Makgato had said that introducing Treat All will save  lives and money for the country in the long run.  “It was clear that we were going to inject some funds upfront for us to realize those long term benefits. Botswana is already investing substantially into the HIV response, hence Partners can also assist the country in investing in those areas of the response where we need that support”  she said. She thanked WHO, UNAIDS and other UN Agencies for technical assistance, PEPFAR for the support and substantial funding to augment government expenditure. She said that choosing to implement Treat All is not just a reflection of strong political commitment to providing the population what it needs but also a crucial step in moving towards zero new infections and ending AIDS in Botswana.

Other speakers included His Excellency Ambassador Earl Miller of the USA who congratulated Botswana on once again demonstrating her leadership and commitment in fighting HIV/AIDS and providing for her people. He reassured Botswana of continued US support through PEPFAR programmes. On the same note, the UNAIDS Regional Director for EAST and Southern Africa Professor Sheila Tlou, herself a former Botswana Minister of Health, exclaimed “Treat All  will get Botswana closer to 90-90-90 Global targets. Short of an HIV vaccine or cure, Treat All is one of the critical tools we need for an AIDS free generation.” She quoted the Global AIDS Update 2016 which shows that globally, 17 million have access to life-saving ARV medicines, up from 15 million in 2015, and significantly reducing AIDS-related deaths. The gains were greatest in the world’s most affected region, our Eastern and Southern Africa, where coverage increased from 24% in 2010 to 54% in 2015, reaching a total of 10.3 million people. She however indicated that there was still need for collective innovative ideas to ensure community wide access and success.
   
“The Government of Botswana demonstrates its relentless commitment to ending AIDS, using evidence-informed and most-effective HIV treatment” stated UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Anders Pedersen.

“A unique opportunity to further strengthen Botswana’s healthcare system and community response is presented through the Treat All approach with approximately 100,000 more people expected to start on ART, beginning in June 2016,” said UNAIDS Representative, Dr. Gang Sun

The launch was attended by Cabinet, the UN, Heads of Diplomatic Missions and Development Partners, Members of Parliament, Senior Civil Servants, Civil Society and members of the community.

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Below:

01 His Excellency President Khama
02 His Excellency President Khama with His Honour Vice President, Hon Minister and other Dignitaries
03 Minister of Health Hon. Makgato 
04 Ambassador Miller
05 His Honour Vice President Masisi, Professor Tlou and Dr Ovberedjo