HIV counseling and testing
Botswana Christian AIDS Intervention Programme (BOCAIP)

Partnership period: 2007- 2008 (2 years)

BOCAIP is a faith based organisation providing HIV Counselling and services implemented at its 11 centres established country wide and training Lay Counsellors for its own centres and other partners, couple counselling, provide support to mothers on PMTCT programme, provision of care and support to orphans and vulnerable children and formation and facilitation of support groups for people testing HIV positive and negative. BOCAIP’s organisational objectives are to:

• Prevent the transmission of HIV through positive behaviour change
• Mitigate the psychosocial impact of HIV/AIDS on individuals and communities through social interactions
• Strengthen the National capacity to respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic

ACHAP partnership with BOCAIP was to support scaling up of HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) and Youth HIV prevention services.The project objectives were to:

• Increase access to and availability of HCT services
• To increase access to HIV Counselling and Testing services to reach 115 600 individuals in 11 centres by 2008
• To increase demand of HIV counselling and Testing services in 11 centres by 2008
• To reach 50% of all clients accessing HCT services with post test services at BOCAIP centres by 2008
• Strengthen BOCAIPs institutional capacity to provide HCT services to reach 115 600 individuals in 11 centres by 2008

Summary of achievements:

BOCAIP continued to provide HCT services at its 11 centres and youth HIV prevention services at Ramotswa Youth Centre. Strategies used to create demand for and undertaking of HCT services included outreach sessions to 97, 839 people found at work places, schools, churches and identified national events. Of this number HCT services were accessed by 21 752 (11 829 M & 9 923 F) of which 10.6% tested HIV positive and 48.3% were young people of ages 10-29 years. Ongoing support counselling forms a cornerstone of HIV counselling and testing services.

This service was extended to over 35 294 people either refereed to or accessing services at BOCAIP. Type of counselling provided is as defined by client diverse needs. For instance, trauma, bereavement, pre marital and marriage counselling (with emphasis on faithfulness) and counselling to PMTCT clients and PLWAs are provided. Young people access ASRH, recreational services at Ramotswa.

A limited number of 60 youths were provided with clinical services. Summarily, outreach sessions, some conducted by Peer Educators with emphasis on HIV prevention messages reached 5 861 youths in South East District. To the end of the 2008, BOCAIP had registered 180 Pledge 25 club members, 217 Positive Living Club members and at least 696 youths utilising recreational services (e.g. out/indoor sports, library) services at the centre.