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Botswana: Mogae At Women's Media Foundation

Festus Mogae

1 December 2008

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A year ago when I addressed journalists at a training workshop commemorating World AIDS Day I told them that AIDS is more important than anything else, that's why I attended their workshop.

I emphasised that I would attend any meeting on AIDS and that publishers and editors were not exempt. I stand before you today as promised.

First of all, I want to say that at long last you the media have realised that AIDS is not somebody else's problem. It is for all of us.

It is for you and me, as the media sector, are as seriously affected as any other sector. Just remember how many of your colleagues we have lost.

That means everybody including politicians should worry about HIV and AIDS. Because as a country we are successful, we have a reason to live, want to live, and you as the media can mobilise the whole nation. I am glad that you are now doing that although belatedly. I hope you now realise that HIV and AIDS affects us all and that you have a role to play. You are critical stakeholders in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

At the beginning the media used to write funny stories. For example, they used to write that there was a man in Jwaneng, a Mr X, who went around sleeping with girls and after that he showed them a certificate that he was HIV positive. That was not true and showed lack of understanding. It was an indication that at that time you did not appreciate the gravity of the problem.

But now I see an improvement in your attitudes and reports. You are more sympathetic and treat the issue with appropriate sensitivity and compassion. The launching of your Step-By-Step Online Training Guide for Better Health Reporting is an indication that you have accepted that the pandemic is serious and that there was therefore need to train journalists on how to report on AIDS and other public health issues.

I am informed that this toolkit will, among others, equip you with the necessary skills on how to report health issues effectively and compassionately. I commend you for that. I am told that at the touch of a button journalists can access the Online Training Guide and find instructions such as:

* How to report and understand statistics

* How to tell health stories with a human face

*How to understand and report medical science

*How to create a good contact list

*How to develop good news angles for health stories When I addressed journalists last year, I appealed to them that as Botswana media, as Batswana, as my compatriots, and patriots they should join hands with everybody else, and do the best they could to propagate the message of abstinence. As far as care and treatment is concerned, we are among the best in the world.

I want you to advocate for prevention. It is your duty and responsibility as Batswana because if you do not do it, you too will die so what will be the point? Equipped with these skills and conducting in-house training using these guidelines will result in successful propagation of messages we want to disseminate to the whole nation.

In the early days we struggled because we were afraid that we would be laughed at, looked at as a nation that was seriously affected by HIV and AIDS. On the occasion of the Millennium Development Goals I reported to the United Nations that we as Botswana would have had no difficulty in attaining the MDGs if only it was not for HIV and AIDS.

The debates, discussions and subsequent meetings created an impression that Botswana was the only country that was affected. Even some of you had reservations about my approach because you felt that we obviously contracted this virus from somewhere else, how come nobody else was affected as us.

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