Edwin Motse, an HIV-positive Aids activist in Botswana with his daughter Ompi, who is HIV-negative thanks to modern preventive techniques. At the turn of the century HIV had almost doubled mortality rates among children under five. Photo Credita: Peter Van Agtmael/Polaris/eyevine
HealthSociety BotswanaAn Extraordinary Transformation towards an AIDS-Free Generation
Botswana has achieved what once seemed impossible: almost eliminating HIV transmission from mothers to their babies, making it the first high-HIV-burden country to earn the World Health Organization’s Gold Tier recognition.
“Botswana shows you know what can happen when a country decides that no child should be born with HIV, and they actually mean it,” says Doris Macharia, President of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
At the turn of the century, one in eight infants was born with HIV. Today, infant cases have dropped to fewer than 100 per year, an astonishing reduction of more than 98%. With nearly all pregnant women accessing antenatal care and over 98% of HIV-positive mothers receiving antiretroviral therapy, vertical transmission is now virtually nonexistent. Building on this success, Botswana is moving into pediatric HIV cure trials, enrolling children treated from birth in groundbreaking experiments with broadly neutralising antibodies.
