IMPROVING HUMAN GEOGRAPHY OF INEQUALITIES IN BOTSWANA

Year 10 Individuals and Societies Assessment Task: Botswana Report

There are many factors that led to the AIDS epidemic in Botswana, one of these is an economic
factor. Botswana’s primary industry is the diamond industry.1 This thriving industry provides
promising profits, but at a risk. As men are now risking their lives during work there is no
difference for them to do the same in their sex life.1 Men working in the diamond industry tend to
use sex workers, thus increasing the trade of these and therefore the spread of HIV. 1 With men
often engaging sexual interactions with multiple partners this has led to ‘the highest record HIV
rate in Botswana- 52.2%.’1 Another economic factor that has led this epidemic is that with only
one primary industry, most of the population is left in poverty.2 With a minimum yearly salary of
$2592.66,3 this means that protection against HIV and AIDS is not at the forefront of the average
persons’ mind, allowing these diseases to thrive.

Another significant factor that has led to this epidemic is the political circumstances in Botswana.
As Botswana has been led by the same democratic party for 48 years4 this has led to a lack in
change in their ideas, this reflects on Botswana’s policies too. The Botswana Democratic Party
penalises same-sex practices.5 This, in turn, has led to these people being reluctant to seek help,
causing an increase in HIV due to it being untreated. This being said, Botswana is making steps in
the right direction. Currently, Botswana offers universal free antiretroviral treatment (ART) to all
people living with HIV, but due to a low testing rate and low levels of knowledge about AIDS, the
treatment rarely meets those in need.6

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation launched in 2000 and ‘through an innovative partnership
between the government of Botswana, Merck, and Bill and Melinda’7 the foundation using their
program area; Global Health,5 aims to treat those living with HIV in Botswana. Currently, over 50%
of people that could benefit from ARV therapy are receiving treatment, this is the highest rate in
Africa.5

1 "Botswana Miners Struggle With HIV/Aids - 04 Dec 08". 2019. Youtube. Accessed May 26 2019.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYlFifXj48A.

2
"Botswana - Country Brief". 2019. Web.Worldbank.Org. Accessed May 14 2019.

http://web.worldbank.org/archive/website01321/WEB/0__CONTE.HTM.

3
"Average Salary In Botswana 2019". 2019. Salaryexplorer.Com. Accessed May 14 2019. http://www.salaryexplorer.com/salary-

survey.php?loc=28&loctype=1.

4
(http://www.hydrant.co.uk), Site. 2019. "Botswana : Constitution And Politics | The

Commonwealth". Thecommonwealth.Org. Accessed May 26 2019. http://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-

countries/botswana/constitution-politics.

5 "Laws On Homosexuality In African Nations". 2019. Loc.Gov. Accessed May 24 2019. https://www.loc.gov/law/help/criminal-laws-on-

homosexuality/african-nations-laws.php.

7
2019. Docs.Gatesfoundation.Org. Accessed May 14 2019. https://docs.gatesfoundation.org/documents/achap.pdf.
Upon the agreement of collaboration between Merck, the Gates’ and Mogae in 1999 they set out
to find a project in which they could guarantee success. As Botswana had the highest HIV rate at
this time, this was one of the more promising options. Additionally, the Leader of Botswana,
President Mogae,8 said that he was ‘personally committed to confronting the crisis’ and he had
also, earlier, welcomed external assistance.8 In total, these NGO’s put $100 million8 towards
Botswana’s health infrastructure, including; ‘training new health workers and managers and
establishing laboratories and mobile clinics.’ The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also closely
worked with the government and established a national plan to tackle HIV and AIDS.

Botswana’s government

‘The government is committed to ending the AIDS epidemic,’9 is what Richard Mathare (National
Coordinator of Botswana’s National AIDS Coordinating Agency) said at Botswana’s HIV
Conference. Although Botswana’s HIV treatment levels are high (84% in 2017) Botswana’s
government is determined to tackle the main factor that has led to the AIDS epidemic, the number
of new HIV infections.9 To try and confront this long reining problem the Botswanan Government
is focusing of five main points, these being: a focus on young women, key populations,
contraception, male circumcision, and pre-exposure prophylaxis.9

Another, more recent, contributing factor to the reduction of HIV rates in Botswana is the First
Lady of Botswana, Neo Masisi. Masisi is adamant to solve the epidemic through those that are
most affected, young girls. Masisi advocates for the empowerment of young girls and hopes that
this will decrease their vulnerability, which is exploited by so many people. 10 She does this through
events such as the: post Word AIDS Day an event where she hosted 100 young women and girls
and they discussed some of the daily issues that face women and girls in Botswana, Masisi saying
that; ‘I am concerned about how young people have not known a life without HIV and hence they
are more vulnerable to social ills.’10

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Strengths: Weaknesses:

 The drugs heavily reduce the casualties of  Treatment assists those that are affected
AIDS. but does not stop people from being
 With a president on board, they are able to affected.
make significant changes somewhat easily.  As the organisation is not a government
 A global perspective allows this foundation agency it may be hard to tackle the
to have incite of what other countries may problem as effectively.
have done to solve similar issues.  Due to the collaboration of many people
 The high amounts of funding allow for making decisions may be difficult and
‘mass changes’ to be more of a possibility. timely.
 Due to the NGO being mostly a global
organisation means that they may not

8
"Botswana Profile". 2019. BBC News. Accessed May 14 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13041658.

9
"Botswana To Revitalize HIV Combination Prevention". 2018. Unaids.Org. Accessed May 15 2019.

https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2018/august/botswana-to-revitalize-hiv-combination-prevention.

10
"Botswana’S First Lady Visits UNAIDS To Drive Change For Young Women". 2018. Unaids.Org. Accessed May 15 2019.

https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2018/october/botswana-first-lady-visits-unaids.
 have enough knowledge of Botswana to
make rational choices.
Opportunities: Threats

 With HIV counselling and testing brings a  The values and beliefs that come with
future opportunity of educational those that practice religion may contradict
programs offered to young people. what this NGO is trying to achieve.
 A reduction in further transmission will  Due to the nature of an organisation like
allow the government to put more time this, funding may seize or be spent
and money into other issues. elsewhere.
 With a dire problem such as this solved or  There is nothing mentioned about science
even improved economic standings and in the Foundations site, this may lead to
GDP will benefit positively. their methods become outdated or
 With so much funding and so many people redundant.
on board, this NGO may be able to  Although $100 million is a lot of money if
completely transform a state burdened the rate of HIV and AIDS continues in the
with HIV and AIDS. way it is going the problem may be just too
large for an organisation to solve alone.

Botswana’s government

Strengths: Weaknesses:

 The government has the ability to enforce  A government has to divide the spending
more direct changes such as laws and money and its time, thus taking away from
reforms. potential HIV Prevention time.
 The five main points they are targeting will  By solely focusing on girls and women the
reduce the number of people affected. real problem; men, is not adhered to.
 The focus on women and young girls brings  With information and decisions coming
in contact to those are being affected and from the government and those ‘high up,’
thus solutions can be tailored. people may not be able to relate and thus
 Counselling and education make for a less take onboard what they are advising.
superficial solution to this epidemic.  It can often take a long time to make
changes in a democratic system, time is
crucial in a problem involving people.
Opportunities: Threats

 With HIV counselling and testing brings a  The people of Botswana may simply not
future opportunity of educational want to welcome these changes.
programs offered to young people.  Due to a large following of religion in
 A reduction in further transmission will Africa, these decisions may evoke conflict
allow the government to put more time Botswanans and their government.
and money into other issues.  Due to the focus on ‘further transmission,’
 With a dire problem such as this solved or those affected by HIV and AIDS may not
even improved economic standings and receive as much care as they should.
GDP will benefit positively.  By limiting the government’s focus to the
 A focus on young girls may be able to ‘5 main points’ this could lead to a
reverse engrained ideals towards women disregard for the behaviours that led to
in society. HIV and AIDS in the beginning.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is something ‘gives money from the richest people to some
of the poorest,’11 this is something that is very powerful. The aims of Merck alongside Bill and
Melinda Gates is something that has a lot of potential, with the reassurance of funding they are
able to implement actions on the mass scale.11 With their main priority to prevent new infections
this leads to the AIDS epidemic becoming a thing of the past, however, the fight is a long one. A
culmination of education, drugs and testing is how this NGO is stopping HIV and AIDS in its tracks.

The government, on the other hand, may not have as much funding, but it has the ability to
change people. All the things the NGO above is doing to prevent HIV are worthless unless the
people of Botswana, change the way they think about things and how they do things. With an
average of 1 in 6 people being infected an instance of unprotected sex can easily spread the
disease and this leads to a loss of fear, hopelessness.11 The approach the Government and Neo
Masisi are taking to ultimately end the epidemic is one that may not see the same immediate
results as drugs and testing, but it, in the long run, is heading in the right direction

There is not so much one ‘effective solution’ to the AIDS epidemic, but it requires multiple
different viewpoints and approaches. A combination of the what Government, Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation, Merck and Neo Masisi is the optimum solution to this multi-faceted issue.
Whilst having drugs, funding and testing, as NGO’s provide, is a good short-term solution this will
not change the engrained beliefs of the people in Botswana and thus won’t solve the epidemic. To
solve the inequalities experienced in Botswana, Botswanans, first and foremost, need to have
access to healthcare, this will help with current affected people and begin to prevent future
infections. This is good, but Botswanans need to also be educated on how their personal choices
may have led to this issue in the first place, this can only be done through education.

Bibliography:

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http://web.worldbank.org/archive/website01321/WEB/0__CONTE.HTM.

"Botswana Democratic Party". 2019. En.Wikipedia.Org. Accessed May 14 2019.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botswana_Democratic_Party.

"Botswana Profile". 2019. BBC News. Accessed May 14 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13041658

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saharan-africa/botswana.

"HIV/AIDS In Botswana". 2019. Youtube. Accessed May 24 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aulgLI1cHCE.

‘’2019. Docs.Gatesfoundation.Org. Accessed May 14 2019. https://docs.gatesfoundation.org/documents/achap.pdf.

"Why Giving Away Our Wealth Has Been The Most Satisfying Thing We've Done... | Bill And Melinda Gates". 2019. Youtube.
Accessed May 24 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSL-iIskEFU.

11
"Why Giving Away Our Wealth Has Been The Most Satisfying Thing We've Done... | Bill And Melinda Gates". 2019. Youtube. Accessed

May 24 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSL-iIskEFU.