HIV/ AIDS Statistics for Botswana

“We are facing a situation where every Motswana (Batswana) is either infected or affected; having lost a relative, friend, workmate or an acquaintance to the pandemic (of AIDS).”

- Pres. of the Republic of Botswana (Chairman, national AIDS Council)

• In the next 10 years, 40 million Sub-Saharan African children will become orphans.
• One-fifth to one-third of all children under the age of 15 will be orphans this year.
• Almost 27% of primary, 13% of Junior Secondary School; 4% of Senior Secondary School, and 4% of Tertiary schools students are not yet aware of AIDS.**
• The early age at which many students initiate sexual activity? 6-10 years of age**
• The youth are the most affected by HIV/AIDS. In the first quarter of 1996 the estimated number of infected youths accounted for 56% of the reported cases of HIV signs and symptoms (GoB, 1997).**
• About 28,000 children aged 0-15 years were estimated to be living with HIV.**
• Results from surveys show that 15.3% of the primary school students (Grades 1-7) in selected schools are sexually active. This percentage increases with age. For secondary school students, more than 30% of students have had sex before compared to 34.2% of junior secondary school students. For senior secondary schools 55% of the students are sexually active while for the tertiary institutions 92.5% are sexually active.**
• By the age of 19, females (80%) are more sexually active than males (67%).**
• Most youths find out about sex from their friends, teachers, then parents. Strangely enough, students feel that the primary responsibility for their sexual education is with their parents.**
• The myth that AIDS can be cured by having sex with a virgin exposes girls as young as six to rape.**
• Gifts, money and promises of marriage lure teenage girls into sexual relationships that put them at risk.**
• There is need for intense sexuality education and programs promoting abstinence and safer sex to be designed for younger people generally and for young women in particular.*
• The number of those who died of AIDS during 2001 stood at 26,000. Orphaned children under the age of 15 in 2001 were estimated at around 69,000.**

• Politically, HIV/IADS threatens the survival of the state of Botswana given that almost 40% of the adult population is infected with it.*
• It is estimated that there will be about “40 to 50% fewer Batswana adults aged 35-45 than would have the case without an HIV epidemic.** (UNDP, 2001)
• It is alarming that a large percentage (97%) of teachers indicated that it is true that “there is no harm in having sex with an HIV positive person”.**
• Currently, about 283,764 adult Batswana aged 15-49 years are living with HIV / AIDS.*
• Currently about 1/3 persons aged 15-49 years are living with HIV.*
• The highest HIV prevalence is consistently in the 25-29 year age group in which prevalence has been at approximately 50% for the past three years. The lowest rates are among woman aged 15-19.*
• The prevalence of HIV infection is essentially the same in urban and rural areas. In both areas, HIV prevalence was highest among women in the 25-29 year age group.*
• The estimated number of females 15-49 years who are HIV positive in Botswana is 178,873. Women in age group 15-24 years represent 34.5% of the total of adult women infected with HIV in Botswana.*
• The estimated number of males 15-49 years who are HIV positive in Botswana is 105,084. Men in age group 15-24 years represent 11% of the total adult men infected; while those aged 25-34 years represent 41%.*
• Among males, the highest prevalence was observed in those 30-39 years whereas among females, persons aged 25-34 years had the highest rate.*
• The highest age-specific prevalence was observed among those aged 25-29 years.*
• With an infection rate of about 35% of the sexually active adult population, the pandemic affects every sector of Botswana. The economy is likely to suffer shortages in the labour force and high medical expenses.**

• AIDS is the leading cause of death in Africa.
• In late 1980's, the average age of death was 61; today it is 35.
  150,000 women aged 15-49 are HIV positive. Given a population of only 1.6 million, these figures indicate that few families remain unaffected by HIV/AIDS in Botswana.**
• It is estimated that one in three sexually active adults in Botswana is HIV positive.**
  Botswana faces a very serious HIV/AIDS challenge, which threatens the achievement of Vision 2016 objective of having an HIV/AIDS free society by 2016.**
• “HIV/AIDS is spreading relentlessly worldwide with 40 million people infected and over 70% of those in sub-Saharan Africa… Since there is no cure for AIDS at the moment and no vaccines against the virus are currently available, the impact of HIV/AIDS will only be reduced through behavior change…” Hon MP, L Mostsumi, Ministry of Health (VP Chairperson, National AIDS Council)*
• About 40 million people are currently living with HIV/AIDS. Over the next decade, without effective treatment and care, they will join the ranks of the more than 20 million people who have died of AIDS since the first case in 1981. (First case in Botswana was 1985)*
• HIV/AIDS marks a severe development crisis in sub-Saharan Africa, which remains by far the worst affected region of the world.*
• The total number of people living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa in 2003 is between 25-28.2 million.*
• Botswana is among the 19 African nations that have established
• National AIDS councils or commissions personally chaired by the Head of State to take charge of a multi-sectoral response to AIDS.*
  Currently the epidemic affects more than 1/3 persons aged 15-49 years.*

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*Source – The National AIDS Coordinating Agency – Botswana 2003 2nd Generation HIV/AIDS Surveillance

**Source – Baseline Study Report – Botswana Institute For Development Policy Analysis, August 2003