More Elderly People Getting Infected with HIV 

By Ephraim Keoreng, Mmegi.bw 

June 17, 2009

Botswana

A new trend where more elderly than young people are getting infected with HIV has emerged. 

Speaking at the launch of a Population Services International (PSI) biannual report, the organisation's country representative, Toby Kasper, revealed that a Botswana Aids Impact Survey (BAIS) III study released this year shows that more older people are getting infected than in the past where figures showed the youth as the most infected. 

"The BAIS study looks at newly infected incidences. 

In the BAIS II study, released in 2005, the age-range which had the highest number of infections was 30-40 years (youth) whereas in the recently released BAIS III we have seen the age range with the highest number being in the 40-44 (adults)," he said.

When asked what could be the reasons for this change, Kasper said that though he was not sure, "maybe it's because we have been concentrating most of our strategies on the youth, who are expected to be more sexually active and in the process leaving behind the middle-aged and elderly. 

We have now realised that we will have to focus on these other groups," he said. 

Meanwhile, the biannual report indicates that PSI has now shifted from being an organisation known for delivering products (primarily condoms) to one that has a leading role in behaviour change communications, underpinned by a strong research focus, whilst maintaining a strength in product distribution.

The report further said that by partnering with donors like the United States government, the government in Botswana and the African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnership (ACHAP) were able to participate in broad national processes. 

These processes were such as the Second National Strategic Framework for HIV/AIDS, "where they worked even more intensively on prevention efforts, with the National AIDS Coordinating Agency (NACA) in developing the country's first operational plan for scaling up HIV prevention activities. 

PSI Botswana is part of a larger PSI corporate entity, headquartered in the United States with offices spread across the globe in more than 60 countries. 

According to the report, experts in Washington provide back up on a range of issues from technical matters of behaviour change communications to the nitty-gritty of financial management and contracting.

Copyright © Global Action on Aging
Terms of Use  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us