Why is HIV prevalence highest in Mahalapye Central?
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Monday February 13, 2023 06:00
A comparison of the 2013 Botswana AIDS Impact Survey (BAIS) with the recently released 2022 version of the same study, shows that nearly all districts in the country have seen their HIV prevalence drop between the two periods.
The BAIS is the country’s most authoritative analysis of HIV trends, used by policymakers, government and health partners to map out strategies on how to stamp out the epidemic.
According to the latest BAIS, HIV prevalence in Mahalapye Central has not only increased by double digits, but the region now also carries the heaviest share of the national disease burden. In the 2013 BAIS, Mahalapye Central’s HIV prevalence was 23.1% meaning nearly a quarter of the population had the condition. In the 2022 BAIS, the same area is now at 33.3% HIV prevalence an increase of more than 10 percentage points.
The HIV prevalence in Mahalapye Central is now the country’s highest, while Selebi-Phikwe, the region that has historically topped the list, dropped to 26.7% from 27.5% between the two studies. Gaborone’s HIV prevalence dropped from 17% in 2013 to 11% in 2022, while Francistown went from 24.3% to 22.6%, Lobatse from 17.2% to 13.4%, Sowa from 19.8% to 15.6% in 2022, and Kgatleng from 19.9% to 19.3% in 2022. Besides Mahalapye Central, there are a few other areas that recorded slight increases over the two periods. Orapa went from 15.6% in 2013 to 17.1% in 2022, Jwaneng from 12.8% to 13.4%, and Chobe from 17.7% to 21.4% in 2022.
None of the other regions gained as much as Mahalapye Central though.
For Selebi-Phikwe the drop over the years can be attributed largely to the exodus of residents after the closure of BCL Mine in October 2016. While reports emerged indicating that the resultant economic crisis in the town had caused an upsurge in prostitution and inter-generational relationships, the latest BAIS suggests that migration out of the town had a greater effect on overall HIV prevalence in town.
But what happened in Mahalapye Central?Mahalapye West legislator, David Tshere, who is also the chair of the Parliamentary Committee on HIV, has some ideas. According to Tshere, the key to understanding the issue is to appreciate that the statistics do not just cover Mahalapye as a village, but also nearby areas covered by Mahalapye Council.
According to Tshere, Mahalapye village has a population of 48,000 while the whole area covered by the council has 180,000 population including people from nearby areas such as Shoshong, Mahalapye East, Mahalapye West, as well as, Sefhare-Ramokgonami. But across the region, one issue sticks out as a cause for the higher HIV prevalence. “If you look at the dynamic of this particular district, it is such that it has a high number of low socio-economic areas, especially the Shoshong area,” the MP says.
“You will realise that these are the people in the Mokgenene, Moralane and other areas which are mostly affected because there is no health care service in those areas.
“People in those areas have no access to health care services, especially people in the veld areas.
“Even in Shoshong there is no access to health services; there’s only one clinic and it has limited capacity.” According to Tshere, the remote areas cause challenges for the Mahalapye Council and any efforts fighting the rising HIV prevalence.
“HIV and AIDS is still a problem that needs to be addressed.
“I am equally worried and feel there is a need for all interventions to reduce the HIV prevalence in the Mahalapye constituency.
“It is not about Mahalapye but Mahalapye district and its dynamic.
“We have a shortage of healthcare facilities and access to healthcare is still a major problem in the district,” he tells Mmegi.
Other results from the latest BAIS indicate that at the national level, women aged 45 to 49 have the highest HIV prevalence at 52%, while for men, the most affected group is aged 50 to 54 years old with a 39% prevalence rate.
Apart from the zero to 14 years age group, women have higher HIV prevalence than men across the ages. Health statisticians have explained that women tend to adhere to HIV treatment more than men, leading to better outcomes and greater longevity, which is then expressed through the HIV prevalence statistics.