BOTSWANA: AIDS becoming costly - President

Botswana's President Festus Mogae has predicted a budget deficit of close to US $418 million, partly due to the high cost of the government's national HIV/AIDS programmes.

The country is engaged in expensive projects for the provision of antiretroviral drugs and programmes to help prevent the mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

Research shows that more than 8,000 HIV-positive people in Botswana are currently receiving treatment through the antiretroviral programme.

The Agence France-Presse (AFP) news service quoted Mogae as saying: "The country still continues to be devastated by the impact of HIV/AIDS."

He said the pandemic had resulted in the government committing an additional amount of almost US $155 million for new HIV/AIDS intervention programmes.

Theme (s): Care/Treatment - PlusNews, Children,

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]