• AIDS is the leading cause of death in Africa.
• In the late 1980’s, the average age of death was 61; today it is 35. 150,000 women aged 15-49 are HIV positive. Given a population of only 1.6 million, these figures indicate that few families indicate that few families remain unaffected by HIV/AIDS in Botswana.
• It is estimated that one in three sexually active adults in Botswana is HIV positive,**
  Botswana faces a very serious HIV/AIDS challenge, which threatens the achievement of Vision 2016 objective of having a HIV/AIDS free society by that time.**
• “HIV/AIDS is spreading relentlessly worldwide with 40 million people infected and over 70% of those in sub-Saharan Africa... Since there is no cure for AIDS at the moment and no vaccines against the virus are currently available, the impact of HIV/AIDS will only be reduced through behavior change... ”Hon MP, L Mostsumi, Ministry of Health (VP Chairperson, National AIDS Council)*
  About 40 million people are currently living with HIV/Aids. Over the next decade, without effective treatment and care, they will join the ranks of the more than 20 million people who have died of AIDS since the first case in 1981 (First case in Botswana was 1985)*
• HIV/AIDS marks a severe development crisis in sub-Saharan Africa, which remains the by far the worst affected region in the world.*
• The total number of people living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa in 2003 is between 25-28.3 million.*
• National Aids councils or commissions personally chaired by the Head of State to take charge of a multi-sectoral response to AIDS.* Currently the epidemic affects more than 1/3 persons aged 15-49 years.*

*Source - The National AIDS Coordinating Agency - Botswana 2003 2nd Generation HIV/AIDS Surveillance

** Source - Baseline Study Report - Botswana Institute For Development Policy Analysis, August 2003

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