Gaborone, Feb 6 (IANS) Botswana is rolling out stopgap measures to cushion patients affected by the closure of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that perform both prevention and treatment functions related to HIV/AIDS due to the suspension of US foreign aid.
Christopher Nyanga, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, said on Thursday that every effort will be made to provide these services as before.
“Fortunately, in some cases, some of these partners have been providing services within the public health facilities,” said Nyanga, adding that it is unknown how long the CSOs and NGOs will be closed.
The ministry, therefore, advises the public and all clients who have been receiving services from these CSOs and NGOs to seek services from the nearest public health facilities, he said.
Meanwhile, Nyanga said the ministry is still consulting other stakeholders on how services like those for victims of gender-based violence will be alternatively provided. He said the government will issue more updates on developments and new initiatives.
Botswana has multiple CSOs and NGOs operating in the health sector that are directly affected by the decision to suspend support by the US government, Xinhua news agency reported.
Nyanga had earlier said that the development “does not affect the availability of antiretroviral medication because that is directly procured by the Botswana government.”
He said the ministry will engage all stakeholders, including the US Embassy, in a dialogue on how to continue the affected services.
Over the years, Botswana has been receiving aid from the United States in the health sector, and many local US-funded civil society organisations indicated that they have been asked to suspend their operations immediately.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, 20.8 per cent of Botswanans aged 15-65 are HIV positive. That translates to about 329,000 adults living with HIV.
–IANS
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