Prevention of HIV
Blood Safety and Youth HIV Prevention Programmes

Youth in Botswana are one of the most important groups for targeted HIV prevention interventions because they remain at high risk of getting infected with HIV.  Prevention of HIV infection in this age group creates real prospects for long term control of the epidemic in the country. During 2008, ACHAP expanded its support for youth HIV prevention programmes taking into account recommendations of the plan for scaling up HIV prevention and those of the midterm review of the National Strategic Framework (NSF).

During 2008, ACHAP signed a memorandum of understanding with the  Right to Play (RTP), an international humanitarian  organization whose regional office is based in Uganda to expand the integration of HIV prevention messages into sports and games under the ‘’Live Safe Play Safe (LSPS)” project for children and youth through specially designed sport and play programmes. A baseline survey was carried out in three areas (Gaborone, Kanye and Mochudi) to inform the development of the project implementation plan. Based on the implementation plan, LSPS trainers were trained from among partner NGOs to further train leaders in their respective catchment areas who will then be responsible for implementation of activities with in and out of school young people.

In support of school based peer education program, 12 Regional Peer Education Program coordinators were recruited and placed at 12 education centres of the Ministry of Education and Skills Development.  The main function of these coordinators is to coordinate, direct and facilitate overall implementation of HIV/AIDS Programmes in schools in the regions where they are based. In order to strengthen the peer education programme in the country, ACHAP supported a study tour for ten (10) officers from the Ministry of Education to benchmark the design and implementation modalities of peer education programmes in two provinces of the Republic of South Africa (Gauteng and Kwa-Zulu Natal provinces). The lessons learnt during the tour helped shape the plans for implementation of the country peer education programme. ACHAP also supported the recruitment of a behaviour change communication specialist based at the Ministry of Education (MoE) headquarters to provide technical support to the expanded role of the MoE, HIV prevention programmes.

Prevention of blood-borne HIV transmission continues to be one of the key areas of the health sector HIV/AIDS response. The program supports technical capacity-building within the National Blood Transfusion Services to screen blood for all transfusion transmissible infections and builds the capacity of youth groups to mobilize more blood donors and develop targeted behavior change campaigns to prevent HIV infection among those donating blood. ACHAP has supported the Ministry of Health by procuring laboratory equipment such as blood scales, blood donor chairs and cooler boxes to enable the blood transfusion service to expand the blood donor recruitment base and also meet the increased demand for blood donation created through the Pledge 25 youth prevention programme.

ACHAP provided financial and material support for the national launch of Pledge 25 as a national youth prevention strategy. This is an effort towards increasing the supply of HIV negative blood in Botswana by encouraging more youth to become regular blood donors and remain HIV negative. The youth in Botswana are the country's most strategically important group of blood donors because they account for about 60% of Botswana's blood donor population. To encourage the youth to donate blood, "Pledge 25" youth clubs are established to commit youths to remain HIV-negative through risk-reduction behaviors  and donate  blood at least 25 times. These clubs, which may eventually offer such rewards as scholarships and other educational benefits, will also encourage youth to continue to monitor their HIV status and to be regular blood donors.