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Botswana: Child Mortality Reduction Should Be Priority
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The Voice (Francistown)
19 February 2008
Posted to the web 19 February 2008
Tebagano Ntshole
Gaborone
Botswana has been urged to double its efforts to reduce HIV/AIDS deaths among children.
UNICEF Regional Director, Mr Per Engebak said in a press conference to launch the State of the World's Children Report yesterday that Botswana was among countries with the lowest mortality rate for children under five.
However, he said the country needed to double its efforts if it was to attain the UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) number four, aimed at reducing child mortality by 2015.
"Botswana needs to invest more, particularly in the area of primary prevention if it is to make progress similar to those of east African countries," Mr Engebak, who is based in Kenya, said.
Uganda had managed to reverse HIV/AIDS infection rate from 18 per cent to 7 per cent, while Kenya had reduced infection from 18 - 19 per cent to 5.2 per cent.
Among the things that could help ensure child survival, Mr Engebak said was for the country to embed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Children in local laws to ensure the children's best interests were catered for.
Also, children should not be denied life saving treatment, while efforts must be made to step up the fight against stigma and discrimination, as well as to encourage young people to change their behaviour.
"In some countries, children are able to test for HIV/AIDS without the consent of their parents. It is also important to reduce denial among children so they could take necessary measures."
He said it was important for child survival to be prioritized, saying it should be included in political campaigns and placed at the forefront of national discussions.
Mr Engebak commended Botswana for its strong commitment to ensure child survival, child education, child protection and child development.
The country was one of the first to provide its people with life saving drugs and introduce measures such as the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT)
"Botswana is making progress, which will eventually have an impact on mortality of children under five.'
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He said he had met several ministers from health, local government and finance and development who assured him that reducing mortality rate for children under five was the government's top priority. BOPA
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