An Analysis of Botswana

Figure 1
http://www.shoortravel.com/

Figure 2
http://www.sahistory.org.za/

Overview and Geographical Information

Botswana is a country located in southern Africa. It is bordered by South Africa in
the south and east, Namibia in the west and Zimbabwe in the north east, and is
a member state of the Commonwealth, the UN, the Southern African
Development Community and the African Union. Formally a British protectorate,
and since its independence Botswana has maintained a tradition of stable
democratic elections. It has risen from being one of the poorest nations globally,
with a GDP per capita of $70 US in the 1960s, to be one of the fastest growing
global economies, with an annual growth rate of 8.6%. It now boasts a GDP per
capita of $16,400 US, the fourth largest in Africa. According to Transparency
International, Botswana is also the least corrupt country in Africa. Botswanas
primary source of revenue is its rich natural resources, primarily gemstones. The
government owns approximately 50% of these, and gets 40% of the annual
revenue.
Botswana is geographically flat. Approximately 70% of its territory is covered by
the Kalahari Desert. The northwest of the country is home to the Okavango delta,
one of the worlds largest inland deltas, and in the north lies the Makgadikgadi
Pan, one of the worlds largest salt pans.

Statistic
Life expectancy at birth (years) 2012
Total adult literacy rate (%) 2008-2012*
GNI per capita (US$) 2012
Primary school net enrolment ratio (%) 2008-2011*
Orphans due to AIDS, 2009:
Adult (1549) HIV prevalence, 2009:

47.2 years
85.1%
$7720
87.3%
93,000
24.8%

There is barely
anyone over
the age of 80 in
Botswana

Almost 125,000
males are below
the age of four in
Botswana. There
is slightly less
females.

The population
begins to
decrease
rapidly around
age 35

Figure 3
http://www.indexmundi.com/

HIV/AIDS in Botswana
Like many countries in Africa, Botswana has been heavily affected by the
HIV/AIDS pandemic. It is estimated that there were 300,000 adults over 15
infected with HIV, accounting to almost a quarter of the population of that age
range. The pandemic threatens to reverse the many developmental gains the
country has experienced over the past 50 years since its independence.
In recent years however, the government of the fast developing nation has
become better equipped to deal with the crisis. The national infection rate now
sits at 1.5%, with 15,000 more people being infected every year. Across the
country, the rates differ substantially. Infection rates are highest in cities, and
decrease as the size of the settlement does, leaving small, rural villages with the
lowest infection rate. The eastern regions of Bobirwa and Selebi Phikwe remain
highly affected, with prevalence rates being as high as 40%.

Contributing factors to the HIV/Aids Crisis

Social

Despite HIV/AIDS being a virus

contractible by anyone, various social
factors also contributed to the
extensive and rapid spread of the
virus. One of these factors is gender
inequality in sub-Saharan Africa.
Because of cultural reasons, women
may not always be given a choice in

Historical

Economic

Environmental

Political

whether or not to practice safe sex,

and this could lead to increased
spread of HIV. Pre-marital Sexual
promiscuity is highly socially
acceptable in sub-Saharan Africa, and
an increased number of partners leads
to higher spreading rates of STIs, and
in this case, HIV.
There is also high levels of
homophobia in sub-Saharan Africa. In
early years, AIDS was associated with
homosexuals, and myths existed that
only Homosexuals could contract it.
Because of this, little action was made
by the public and the government
until 1997.
On the outbreak of the AIDS crisis, the
government did very little to stop the
spread of the virus. This led to the
rapid spread of the virus, to the point
that it was feared that there wouldnt
be an adult workforce soon.
Botswana is a developing country,
where only 10% of the population
lives in cities. Because of this, it is
difficult to provide services to
communities in remote areas. This
leads to malnutrition and poor
sanitation, which both increases the
spread of HIV and hampers recovery.
In the first decade of the endemic,
public spending on tackling the virus
was minimal. It wasnt until
government indicatives
70 percent of Botswana is desert, and
because of this many rural
communities do not have easy access
to clean drinking water and sanitation.
This increases the chance of HIV and
other sexually transmitted diseases
being transmitted, and slows the
recovery.
There is a great need for basic
healthcare in rural areas that will
improve the populations health in
general will in turn slow the spread of
AIDS. Thankfully, the government of
Botswana is rapidly improving the
nationwide healthcare system in hope
of tackling the AIDS crisis.
Before 1997, there was little

Technological

government action to prevent the

spread of HIV. This was due to a
number of factors, and it lead to the
massive spread of the virus
throughout the country. It wasnt until
the government of Quett Masire
outlined Vision 2016, a set of goals
to be achieved by 2016, and declared
that the spread of HIV/AIDS would be
halted, and there would be no new
cases by 2016.
As Botswana became an independent
commonwealth nation in 1966, it
emerged as being one of the poorest
countries worldwide. This has
definitely changed today, however in
the early stages of the HIV/AIDS
endemic, there was very little
technology and infrastructure capable
of tackling the program. This has
improved nationwide since then, but
there is still communities living in
rural areas that do not have access to
the proper technology to treat AIDS.

Response to the issue

Following the discovery of the disease in America in 1981, and the first reported
case in Botswana in 1985, the countries primary response was to screen blood to
stop the transmission of the infection by blood transfusion, and the government
did little else until 1997, when the life expectancy had dropped by 8 years since
1990. In 1997, the government outlined a national vision, titled Vision 2016, in
hope of containing and stopping all new reported cases by the year 2016. Today,
Botswana has one of the most comprehensive and effective treatments for aids
in Africa. Free drugs are supplied by the government all over the country, and
95% of the population who requires drugs has them because of this.
Transmission of AIDS from mothers to newborn babies has been brought down to
an incredibly low 4%.
Non-Government organisations also played a large part in the fight against the
AIDS epidemic. The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, in partnership with the
Harvard AIDS initiative and the pharmaceutical companies Merck and BristolMyers Squibb launched a HIV/AIDS treatment program, co-operating with the
government. The aims were to increase access to healthcare nationwide, and
improve the standard of healthcare and treatment. By 2010 the foundation had
provided US$60 million to the fight against AIDS.
The United States has also provided aid to the Government of Botswana,
providing nearly 600 million US dollars since 2004 through PEPFAR (presidents
emergency plan for aids relief).

SWOT analysis
Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV
Strengths of the response (positives)
Of 2012, over 900,000 pregnant
women living with HIV globally
have had access to PMTCT
services.
Botswanas commitment to the
success of this program has
made it the most effective
PMTCT program globally.
Botswana and three other
priority countries (Ghana,
Namibia and Zambia) have
achieved 90% PMTCT coverage.
Between 2001 and 2012, new
HIV infections in children fell by
52 percent.
The program provides aid and
counselling to pregnant women
infected with HIV.
Opportunities and possibilities provided
by this response.
58% of women received ART
treatment (antiretroviral
treatment), similar to the 64% of
adults.
90% of women now have access
to treatment and counselling
across botswana.
The World Health Organisation
has now provided lifelong
antiretroviral treatment (ART) to
pregnant and breastfeeding
women living with HIV.

Weaknesses of the response

(negatives)
In 2012, there were still an
estimated 260,000 new HIV
infected children.
In priority countries, only 30% of
children received HIV treatment.
There is a low number of
healthcare workers working
there facilities. This leads to
slower processing times for
patients requiring testing or
counselling

Threats to this response, potential for

failures
There are many social threats
for women with HIV, including a
lack of male support. Large
amounts of men are leaving
their partners infected with HIV,
or treating them with disregard
and violence.

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Mar. 2015.
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