Africa-Press – Botswana. Serowe District Development Committee (DDC) reports that the district documented 89 cases of teenage pregnancies.
Speaking during Serowe District Council Full session recently, Principal District Officer-Development, Mr Mmoloki Batlang said they discovered that Swaneng Hill Senior Secondary School was topping the list for registered pregnancies in schools.
He shared that a significant number of pregnancies stemmed from younger girls being exploited by older men, primarily from the working class, like taxi drivers, who enticed the girls into sexual encounters by promising them money, electronic devices, and various material possessions.
Furthermore, he said in many instances, parents knew about the defilement but decide to ignore it in return for the culprit purchasing groceries and other necessities, as well as sending money to the victim’s family.
In addition, he said such actions undermined justice in the process of protecting the offender.
“Many parents do not report instances of defilement, much less underage pregnancies stemming from defilement; they prefer to accept the offender as their child’s partner. They just require the offender to support their family’s maintenance,” said Mr Batlang.
Mr Batlang said the district was pleased with the increase in HIV testing, noting that in the last quarter, 1 702 individuals were tested, while the current quarter recored 2 470 individuals.
He also mentioned that out of the 2 470 individuals who tested, 39 were found to be HIV positive; 26 women and 13 men.
Over and above, he disclosed that there were currently 15 794 HIV positive individuals actively receiving Antiretroviral Therapy.
Mr Batlang shared that at present, there were 110 children under 12 on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART).
He also disclosed that 35 patients began Antiretroviral Therapy this quarter, emphasising that, regrettably, a total of 12 patients (including adults and children) had passed away while receiving HAART.
Regarding drug availability, Mr Batlang mentioned that there had been a decline, pointing out that last quarter the district recorded 68 per cent drug availability, while this quarter they noted 65 per cent drug availability.
He mentioned that the availability of essential drugs stood at 78 per cent, non-essential drugs at 59 per cent, and vital drugs at 68 per cent.
He remarked that despite shortage of antiretroviral, the outlook appeared to improve as additional medications had been secured, allowing some patients to receive a month’s supply.
However, he pointed out that they continued to face a shortage of antiretroviral drugs, particularly for clients with renal issues, but remained hopeful that the situation would improvein the near future.
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