vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
x.
positive women to the National ART programme for ARV evaluation and
treatment;
Introduction in 2015, of life-long ART treatment for pregnant women who test HIV
positive;
The establishment of the Infectious Disease Control Centres (IDCC) by the
Botswana Prison Service, to ensure provision of medical services to prisoners;
The provision of free Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ARVs) to all prisoners living with
HIV/AIDS including foreign inmates, in compliance with the Court of Appeal
ruling in Attorney General and Others v. Tapela and Others (2014) in which the Court
ordered that foreign prisoners should receive medical treatment for HIV and
AIDS;
The provision of free ARVs to refugees, with the support of the Red Cross and
PEPFAR, in addition to implementation of robust awareness campaigns for the
refugee community, to advance the prevention of HIV; and
The information that women in refugee camps have access to Prevention of
Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) intervention.
19. The Commission commends the following achievements:
i.
ii.
Decline of annual HIV infections by 71% between 2001 and 2011, while 95% gained
access to free ARVs; and
Reduction of HIV/AIDS prevalence among 15 to 24 year old persons, from 8% in
2008 to 7.9 per cent in 2013.
The right to Education
20. The Commission commends the following initiatives:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
The Government’s investment in education, which has been increasing at an
average annual rate of 4%;
The allocation of a significant portion of the budget to the education sector, which
accounts for about 25% of Government expenditure;
The flexibility in the admission policy to enable children from Remote Area
Dweller Settlements (RADS) to start school at an age later than the official entry
age of 6 years;
Provision of transport to children with special needs to and from school, to ensure
increased participation in education;
Provision of psycho-social support and basic needs, such as food baskets, school
uniforms and stationery, to orphans and vulnerable children including those from
poor economic backgrounds;
Implementation of a school feeding program to cater for all children, including
those from poor economic backgrounds;
Implementation of the Pregnancy Policy, to ensure that children who drop out of
school due to pregnancy are able to continue with their education following
confinement;
6