Speeches

Official Handover of the Nyangabgwe Hospital HIV Reference Laboratory: Remarks for Chargé d’Affaires, Philip R. Drouin.

 September 7th, 2007

Honorable Minster of Health Professor Sheila Tlou and other members of the Ministry,

 

National Coordinator for NACA, Dr. Chris Molomo,

 

District Commissioner Sylvia Muzila,

 

Francistown Mayor Buti Billy,

 

Nyangabgwe Hospital Superintendent Dr.

Japhter Masunge,

 

Laboratory Director Dr. Nathan Gokhale:

 

 

Welcome to the official handover of the Nyangabgwe Hospital HIV Reference Laboratory.  We are gathered here this morning, as all roads across Botswana have converged on Francistown as we observe this important and festive occasion.  Yet this is more than just “an opening,” for we have all assembled here to celebrate our respective “cultures of caring,” so prevalent and prominent in our two great nations, Botswana and the United States of America.    

 

 

Let me begin by offering my sincere thanks to the Government of Botswana.  President Festus Mogae and the Honorable Minster of Health Professor Tlou have provided inspired and commendable leadership in this nation's fight against HIV/AIDS.  Botswana is a global leader in the global war against this pandemic; a model of commitment in the prevention, care, and treatment of the disease.

 

 

An example of how Botswana has remained at forefront of the HIV/AIDS response is its ARV treatment program.  In 2002, Botswana was the first country to provide its citizens free ARVs. Now, just five years into the program, more than 90 percent of those estimated to need treatment are receiving it.  Simply put, the Government and people of Botswana care.

 

 

Of course, there have been challenges.  With the increase of people on ARV treatment, the national reference laboratories in Francistown and Gaborone have felt the squeeze.  Increased workloads at the labs have left some patients waiting months for their CD4 and viral load counts.  Outdated equipment would often break down, and laboratory space has proved inadequate for its purpose.

 

 

Today, as the representative of the American people, who deeply care about the struggle the people of Botswana are up against in their fight against AIDS, it gives me great pleasure to say that the U.S. Government is proud to be handing over a new and improved reference laboratory to the Ministry of Health.  After several months of renovation and refurbishment, the Nyangabgwe Hospital HIV Reference Laboratory is now the second largest reference laboratory in Botswana, allowing the country to double the number of people monitored for HIV/AIDS treatment and care.

 

 

In addition to the building, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, has purchased new equipment that has helped decrease the turn-around time of viral load and CD4 counts.  PEPFAR is also supporting training for use of this equipment, the hiring of a new lab technician, as well as maintenance costs.  These initiatives have improved the capacity of the laboratory to conduct hematology, chemistry, and serology testing for the follow-up of patients on ARVs.

 

 

Perhaps most exciting is the laboratory’s support of the new Early Infant Diagnosis program, which was rolled out across Botswana over the last year as part of the national Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (or P-M-T-C-T) program.

 

 

 

Early Infant Diagnosis, which tests infants for HIV as early as six weeks after birth, is showing remarkable results.  So far, studies reveal that 96 percent of infants born in the P-M-T-C-T program are HIV negative.  Let me repeat that: Ninety-Six Percent of Botswana’s babies in P-M-T-C-T are being born free of HIV.  Everyone is happy with this: Health workers are finally seeing their work succeeding, and mothers are going home from the hospital with HIV-negative babies.

 

 

The newly-renovated reference laboratory – which is three times as big as before – is proudly providing the basis for the Early Infant Diagnosis program for the entire northern region of Botswana.

 

 

We are here today to congratulate Botswana in its rapid scaling up of programs like Early Infant Diagnosis and the ARV treatment program.  We are also here to show that the U.S. Government is doing everything it can to help build capacity for continued scale-up of this good work.

 

 

As we dedicate this new building, let us here today also re-dedicate ourselves to making a difference.  Let us re-dedicate ourselves to successful partnerships.  Working together, everything is possible, because we as Batswana and Americans, although from opposite ends of this planet have so much in common and so much to share.  Indeed and for sure, we really do care.

 

 

Ke a leboga.  Pula!