HIV counseling and testing
Botswana Family Welfare Association (BOFWA)

Partnership period: 2007- 2008 (2 years)

Botswana Family Welfare Association is an NGO registered in Botswana in 1988 with a purpose to address issues related to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SHR). BOFWA is also a member association of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).

BOFWA’s mandate is that of complementing the GoB health and social programmes including HIV and AIDS with a focus on five strategic areas of AIDS and HIV, Access, Advocacy, Adolescents and Safe Abortions. The organisation has a geographical coverage in four districts: Gaborone, Southern (Kanye), Kgatleng (Mochudi) and Ngamiland.

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

• Provide HCT services to 15 066 people in the 4 Districts within the ages of 30-49 years
• Provide comprehensive HIV/SRH services to 55 334 youths within the ages of 15- 29 years
• Undertake youth HIV prevention services to reach 2 200 youth at Mochudi Youth Centre
  Activities included:
  • Mobilisation of the traditional leadership using kgotla system to further educate their communities to access services
  • Using drama performances to educate people on the importance of knowing one’s status
  • Undertaking outreach visits to provide mobile HCT/SRH services to hard to reach areas such as farms and fields
  • Using parent and youth peer educators for continuous outreach
  • Strengthening partnerships with local health facilities and other stakeholders to ensure timely referral of clients to relevant HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services and strengthening project
    Project Achievements to date

Project Achievements

At the end of 2008, 5 392 youths had tested for HIV at BOFWA centres, of this number 7.5% were HIV positive. Adults aged 30 years and above also accessed HCT services. 2 724 people tested (10% HIV positive).

ASRH services continue to be popular amongst youths, at least 34 004 youths (76.6% female youths) received services such as STI prevention and treatment, Family planning information and services, condom education , and other counselling services. Of this number, 716 were treated for STI’s. A total of 179 711 condoms were also distributed ( 165 912 male & 13 799 female condoms) .

Tebelopele

Partnership Period July 2007- June 2009 ( 2 years)

Tebelopele is a renowned NGO providing voluntary counselling and testing services in Botswana. Since its inception in 2000, Tebelopele has conducted over 400 000 tests to people seeking to know their HIV status provided at its sixteen centres. According to Tebelopele records, the acceptability of its services are popular among the young people: 73% of males and 42 of female aged 15- 24 years who ever undertook VCT services in Botswana were tested at Tebelopele Voluntary Counselling and Testing centres (Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, 2006) . However, there is still a need to increase the demand for and uptake of HCT services especially in hard to reach communities.

Tebelopele was therefore supported to provide VCT services in hard –to- reach communities of Kgalagadi and Gantsi Districts. The objectives of the partnership were:

• To reach 45 000 eligible persons with motivational messages for HIV testing in order to increase demand for VCT and other HIV prevention services (including condom demonstrations and distribution, PMTCT and IPT) during the two year period of the project
• Provide VCT to 25 000 eligible persons in Kgalagadi and Gantsi, through outreach services
• Increase the number of VCT clients who demand and access post test services in the Gantsi and Kgalagadi Districts
• Key activities included:
  • Ward based counselling and testing events & campaigns
  • Outreach to farms and settlements
  • Provision of ongoing supportive counselling for negatives and positives
  • Formation of posts test clubs
  • Procurement of project vehicle
  • Supervisory visits

Project Achievements to date

As at end of March 2009, 51 262 people were reached with HIV prevention messages and the importance of knowing one’s HIV status of which 51% tested for HIV. At least 116 459 condoms were distributed. There is still a challenge of the uptake and use of female condoms, only 116 female condoms were distributed.

Tebelopele has also been able to provide HCT services to 26 195 people as at end of March 2009. Of the people that tested, 1 785 were positive (757males & 1028 females)

The establishment of post test clubs is meant to give clients an ongoing HIV prevention education and encourage positive living for those who are HIV positive. However the number of clients accessing post test club counselling and support was very minimal. 211 people accessed post test club services.