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Published on
03.04.2019 at 13:21
by
APA News
The National Agency for Health Promotion and AIDS Botswana (NACA) launched Wednesday a study to determine the prevalence of HIV and TB in the country. The combined HIV / AIDS and TB prevalence survey was launched by Minister of Health and Welfare Alfred Madigele in Gaborone.
Speaking at the launch, Madigele said the country's HIV prevalence is estimated at 18.5 percent, with about 60 percent of people living with HIV reporting having TB.
Madigele said the survey would be used to calibrate national estimates and better understand the distribution of HIV in the country.
"It will also give us an idea of behavioral trends in the general population," said Madigele.
He added that TB remains a major threat to public health worldwide, as it is the most opportunistic infection among people living with HIV.
"Tuberculosis is responsible for 13% of adult deaths and 40% of deaths among people living with HIV," he said.
This will be the first time that a study on the prevalence of tuberculosis is conducted in the country.
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