AEGiS-Reuters: Botswana Leader Warns on AIDS: Abstain or Die

Reuters, Ltd.Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Click here to return to Reuters main menu


DonateNow


Botswana Leader Warns on AIDS: Abstain or Die

Reuters NewMedia - December 1, 2004


LONDON (Reuters) - Botswana President Festus Mogae issued a blunt message to his people Wednesday on HIV/AIDS: abstain from unsafe sex or die.

Botswana, which has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the world, could not afford on its own to keep a rising number of patients alive and depended on outside funding, Mogae told the BBC in an interview.

"It's not sustainable in the long term unless something happens to the infection. We have to say things like 'abstain or die'," said Mogae, speaking on World Aids Day.

Mogae said the national HIV prevalence rate was 37 percent.

"We don't seem to be getting on top of it," he said.

"But in the middle of the Second World War in 1943 you didn't stop fighting because you didn't seem to be making headway."


041201
RE041202


Copyright © 2004 - Reuters, Ltd. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.   Contact Reuters.

AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2004. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2004. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .