Botswana’s HIV response back to struggle days

Botswana’s HIV programmes are back under pressure following the sudden withdrawal of US funding and the country’s economic downturn leaving critical prevention and community services at risk. This is according a recent report in The Lancet journal.

It notes that Washington’s cuts to HIV funding through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) have coincided with a local fiscal crunch, leaving the Government struggling to maintain even core HIV treatment services. The report also indicates that the termination of US-supported programmes has introduced significant gaps in outreach, testing, and prevention efforts, areas where Botswana’s public health system has traditionally struggled.