HIV positive cases ,child pregnancy on the rise in Gaborone
The Greater Gaborone area is witnessing a surge in new and heightened cases of HIV, with at least 140 individuals testing positive out of over 8,300 people who underwent testing in the current quarter.
Gaborone City Mayor, Austin Abraham, expressed deep concern about this trend, highlighting that out of 8, 375 clients tested, 140 tested positive, resulting in a 2 percent positivity rate. The mayor urged everyone to adhere to HIV preventative measures, emphasising the consistent and correct use of condoms.
Another issue of public concern is the escalating number of teenage pregnancies, with 86 recorded in this quarter compared to 76 in the previous quarter. Abraham stressed the need for a collective effort to reduce these cases, urging parents to take full responsibility for the well-being of the girl child.
Shifting to healthcare matters, Abraham shared a positive note about the increased availability of medicines in health facilities. Gaborone City continues to receive medicines from Central Medical Stores and through micro-procurement arrangements, with the average medicine availability at 63 percent compared to 55 percent in the last quarter. Vital and essential medicines availability stand at 73 percent and 68.7 percent, respectively.
The mayor also expressed deep concern about the high rate of drug and alcohol abuse, particularly among the youth. He appreciated the collaborative efforts of the Council and other stakeholders, such as the Drug
Enforcement Agency, Captive Eye Organisation, Motor Vehicle and Accident Fund (MVA), and District Health Management Team, in the fight against this issue. Outreach campaigns have been initiated across the city to address this scourge.
Abraham highlighted the Gaborone City Council's ongoing assistance to 1, 262 registered vulnerable and underprivileged community members. This includes various programmes such as Community Home Based Care (CHBC) for 31 individuals, assistance to 303 in poverty, support for 63 temporarily destitute, and aid for 240 permanently destitute.
The mayor also addressed casework management, revealing that 160 of the 327 Social Welfare cases referred by courts and self-referrals were closed as of November 2023, while 166 cases are ongoing. Despite these efforts, the closure of cases is often delayed due to clients not honouring appointments and providing false addresses.
Abraham acknowledged the prevalence of social ills and emphasised ongoing training and equipping of officers to address cases more competently. Training sessions cover various topics, including sexual abuse of children, sign language, and drugs and substance abuse. Concurrently, the Gaborone District Children's Consultative Forum (DCCF) actively participated in the National Children’s Parliament, held on November 11, 2023, successfully deliberating on children’s issues with the involvement of three children and one officer.
Regarding early childhood centres, Abraham expressed concern about the reluctance of day-care centres to renew their licenses. Out of 139 registered day-care centres, three are non-Governmental, two are Community-Based, three are owned by churches, and 131 are private.
Sixteen (16) day-care centres have yet to renew their licenses for 2023 operations, and the Council is addressing cases of all illegal operators through bye-law enforcement to ensure their elimination.