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PSI/Botswana
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Program
Focus: |
HIV/AIDS, malaria,
reproductive health, child
survival
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Target
Regions: |
HIV/AIDS: Nationwide, specific focus
on high risk areas including transport routes, border towns and
alcohol outlets;
Young Adolescence and Adult Life Skills Program: Nationwide;
Malaria: Nationwide, specific focus on northern districts with
high malarial episodes; Child Survival/Water: Nationwide, specific
focus on areas predominantly served by borehole drinking water |
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Target
Population: |
HIV/AIDS: Sexually active adults aged 15-34 and specific high
risk groups;
Young Adolescence and Adult Life Skills Program: 8-18 years old
in and out of school youth;
Child Survival and malaria: Children under five, pregnant women,
people living with HIV/AIDS and others with little access to safe
drinking water.
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| 2006 Estimated Health Impact: |
Unintended pregnancies averted: 19,000
(explained)
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| Products and Services: |
PermaNet Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets
since 2006
PUR Purifier of Water since 2006
HIV/Alcohol Use Intervention since 2005
The B Project (partner reduction and fidelity)
since 2005
Corporate AIDS Program and the BDF HIV Prevention Program
since 2003
Choose Life Adolescent and Young Adult Life
Skills Program since 2002
Care female condoms since 2002
Lovers Plus condoms since 1993 |
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Local
Collaboration: |
ACHAP, AMEST, BOCAIP, BOCOBONET,
BOCONGO, BOFWA, BONASO, BONELA, BONEPWA+, BNYC, COCEPWA, DMSACs,
Humana People to People, Makgabaneng Radio Drama Project, Ministry
of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Local Government,
NACA, YOHO, YWCA, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNICEF |
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Current
Donors: |
The Government of Botswana
PACT International
Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Soul City/European Union/DFID
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
U.S. Department of Defense
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| Year Program Began: |
1993 |
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Project Activities and Highlights
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HIV/AIDS
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Abstinence, Be Faithful, Condoms (ABC)
PSI/Botswana has been following an integrated behavior change
approach, promoting ABCs of safer sex and the use of voluntary
counseling and testing (VCT) with special focus on youth. PSI/Botswana
follows this approach in an agreement with the Ministry of Health
to meet multi-fold objectives. |
| • |
HIV/Alcohol Intervention Project
The AIDS epidemic in Botswana is fueled primarily by risky sexual behaviors
and growing alcohol and substance abuse. This behavior change communications
intervention intends to increase adoption of safer sexual behaviors and
address key mediating factors to infection (such as alcohol, substance
abuse and partner violence). The project uses partnership with the faith-based
approach of African Methodist Episcopal Services Trust through counseling,
community outreach and youth focused activities and the community-based
peer-led activities of Humana People to People’s. |
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The B Project (partner reduction & fidelity):
Multiple
and concurrent sexual partnership is considered to be one of
the main drivers of the HIV epidemic in Botswana. The B
Project addresses this issue through a comprehensive social marketing
and capacity building initiative with involvement of various
sectors, including faith and community based organizations. FBO
and CBO networks increase partner communication and negotiation
skills; reinforcement of marriage values, community mobilization,
societal and peer support, advocacy efforts at national, district
and local levels and achieve long term sustainability for the
program.
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Corporate AIDS Program and the Botswana Defence Forces
(BDF) HIV Prevention Program:
PSI/Botswana implements a social marketing program for the BDF that encourages
fidelity/partner reduction, consistent and correct condom use, and use
of VCT services. The program harnesses education, information and communication
initiatives to reach personnel with HIV-related messages. PSI/Botswana
has been implementing similar workplace programs that address the needs
of other government departments and public and private sector organizations
including foreign missions.
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| • |
Condom Social Marketing
PSI/Botswana markets Lovers Plus condoms using commercial distribution
channels with special emphasis on high-risk outlets such as alcohol outlets,
hotels/guest houses and filling stations with the support of mass media
advertising and interpersonal communication activities. PSI/Botswana’s
successful advocacy efforts resulted in the government’s decision to make
condoms value added tax (VAT) exempt. In 2006, PSI/Botswana sold and distributed
over 4 million male condoms. In an attempt to improve uniform access and
availability of free condoms in low income areas, PSI/Botswana has implemented
an integrated free condom distribution and education programs across over
500 rural hotspots.
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Malaria
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PSI/Botswana launched PermaNet long
lasting insecticide treated nets in 2006. Incidence of malaria
is restricted largely to northern parts of the country and seasonal
in nature. With high prevalence of HIV
and AIDS in Botswana, people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHAs)
need to take extra precautionary measures to protect themselves
from
malaria.
With the onset
of rainy season
as the
surroundings start breeding mosquitoes, PermaNet, which kills mosquitoes
on contact, is available in retail. |
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Reproductive Health
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Choose Life! Adolescent and Young Adult Life Skills
Program
Choose Life! is a multimedia program that arms youth aged 8 -18 with appropriate
information and skills to make informed, responsible choices about sex, sexuality
and relationships in order to bring about reductions in the incidence of teenage
pregnancy, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. To date, the program
has
distributed
booklets entitled ‘Choose Life!’, ‘Love, Life & HIV/AIDS’ and “Enuff is Enuff-
STOP The Abuse of Women and Girls" to schools, NGOs and youth centers all
over Botswana. A radio drama series for 8-12 year olds has also been produced,
and
is aired on Radio Botswana 2. |
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Child Survival
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Safe Water
In response to a diarrheal epidemic in 2006 that
led to more than 400 infant deaths, PSI/Botswana introduced PUR
Purifier of Water a household water treatment,
each sachet of which can purify
10 litres
of
water. With the help
of partners Procter & Gamble and the CDC, PSI identified PuR
as an appropriate product to address turbidity and contamination
issues common
in
Botswana. PSI/Botswana promotes this highly effective, affordable
product through commercial retail outlets
with special targeting toward users of borehole and
underground water, families with new borns, pregnant mothers
or PLWHAs.
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Future Plans
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PSI/Botswana, in an attempt to strengthen organizational
sustainability and financial viability, is slated to introduce
Lovers Plus flavored condoms, besides further diversifying the
platform by launching oral contraceptives, nutritional supplements
and reading
glasses in 2007. |
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• Back to Where
We Work
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PSI/Botswana Sales Manager Freddy Morwaagole inspects
an ITN on display at the PermaNet launch.
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U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Dr. Mark Dybul (L),
with Soumitro Ghosh of PSI/ Botswana and USAID Asst. Administrator
Dr. Kent Hill (R) attend an edutainment presentation.
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