Festus Mogae & Meles Zenawi focus on HIV/AIDS

By out staff reporter

Botswana and Ethiopia share a common tragedy that is devastating their populations. Botswana has one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the world - over 35 percent among its 1.6 million people. According to the United Nations, the pandemic continues to gain ground and, while some successes have been made in a decade long response in the fight to contain it, Botswana has been unable to keep pace.
In Ethiopia too the HIV virus marches on at a faster pace. According to UNAIDS, the epidemic has progressed to become the 16th-highest prevalence rate globally. An estimated 5,000 people are infected every week, with the result that nearly 3 million people infected and nearly a million children are orphaned.
It is not surprising that both President Mogae and Prime Minister Meles would primarily focus their attention on HIV/AIDS. President Mogae pointed this out to reporters during his four-day visit to Ethiopia specifically focusing on anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment and voluntary testing as areas where the two countries can cooperate. Botswana is already distributing ARVs to all its citizens in need of them, and is promoting routine testing at all its public health facilities.
Ato Meles also took the time to point to Botswana’s considerable economic and political successes describing his guest’s country as an Africa country that is worthy of emulation. “Botswana is, economically, one of the countries that has grown very fast, not just in Africa but elsewhere in the world. So there is a lot that we in Ethiopia can learn from our brothers in Botswana. We share the same ideals and views and are like-minded, which is a key basis for our partnership”, he said.
The two countries have signed an agreement to cooperate in combating the pandemic.
Botswana and Ethiopia are also examining ways of sharing agricultural technology, working more closely in the aviation sector and helping to strengthen the African Union (AU).
During his stay in Ethiopia, Mogae has toured historic sites, including Aksum and its centuries-old obelisks. He also joined the celebrations marking the Battle of Adwa
On Thursday, he delivered a major policy speech at AU headquarters.
Festus Mogae succeeded Quett Masire when he stepped down in 1998.
He was born in 1939 and trained as an economist at Oxford before working in senior government posts. He served as executive director for Anglophone Africa at the IMF and was governor of the Bank of Botswana from 1980 to 1981. In 1992 he was appointed vice-president.
Mr Mogae has pledged to tackle the spread of HIV-Aids and has said that he aims to achieve an Aids-free Botswana by 2016.