Interview: Botswana eyes closer cooperation with China in fight against HIV

Botswana is eyeing closer cooperation with China in the fight against HIV/AIDS, especially on education and monitoring programs, said a senior health official.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, National Coordinator of Botswana National AIDS Cooperating Agency (NACA) Grace Muzila said China has expertise and technology.

"We could use the expertise in China to come with monitoring and evaluation tools to monitor our programs," she said.

She further said education is very important and it will be very useful for China to get into Botswana schools and educate the learners on health issues including HIV.

"Botswana should break the walls between sectors and put education, health and finance together and make sure that China, having seen what was happening in Beijing, it can help us in the education sector and the health sector," she added.

Health-care has long been one of the top priority areas in China-Botswana cooperation. The Chinese government not only dispatches medical teams, but also donates clinical equipment and provides training opportunities for local health professionals.

Muzila also commended China's pledge to support global peace and development.

On Sept. 28, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced at the UN General Assembly that China will establish a 1 billion U.S. dollar China-UN peace and development fund to "support the UN's work, advance multilateral cooperation and contribute more to world peace and development."

"That's a very good initiative. I see both China and those countries which it is supporting growing," she said, adding that "where there is peace there is stability and where there is stability there will be development. Hence the globe will improve."

Commenting on UN's new sustainable development agenda until 2030, Muzila said stakeholders have to concentrate on to make sure that achievements in the past are moving forward.

In September, 193 United Nations (UN) member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including 17 inspiring Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The sustainable development agenda builds on the successes of, and lessons learned from, the landmark Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) -- United Nations anti-poverty targets that are due to wrap up at the end of 2015.

Botswana has achieved a lot in the fight against HIV and AIDS compared with the beginning when it started MDGs. Because it has ensured its own plans are aligned to the regional and global plans, and hence the MDGs, Muzila said.

"I'm so happy (about the new agenda), because we are factoring in the aspect of sustainability and broadening the agenda, you can't handle it as just an HIV/AIDS issue, it's broader than that," she said.

Botswana has one of the highest HIV prevalence rate in the world. According to the 4th Botswana AIDS Impact Survey (BAIS) conducted in 2013, the national HIV prevalence rate stands at 16.8 percent.

The survey shows that estimated annual HIV new infections is around 10,000 in the southern Africa country with the total population of 2.1 million.

HIV is still challenged in the country and it needs support, said the coordinator.

"As a middle income country you cannot easily get support, but when you look at Botswana and the structure of the economy, poverty is still rampant," she said, adding that the government has to make sure that it works with development partners who have expertise in a number of areas to make they support the country in those areas where it is lacking. Endit