The Men Sector, a government initiated HIV/AIDS intervention organization, does not belong to government employees only but to the general public as well.
This was said by the Commissioner of Police, Mr Thebeyame Tsimako when addressing some Ngami Men Sector committee members in Maun recently. Mr Tsimako said that he is worried about situations where HIV/AIDS intervention programs by the sector are stalled whenever civil servants are unavailable. He stated that members of the general public should be included in the programs as they are also affected by the HIV/AIDS scourge.
The Commissioner of Police stated that one of the goals of the sector with regard to prevention of further infections is to get 500 000 men circumcised over the next five years. Achieving such a goal, he said, will not be possible unless more people beyond government offices become more involved. He further said that even temporary residents of Maun should be reached with the message of the sector as they also run the risk of contracting or spreading HIV which may have negative long term effects on the villagers’ lives.
For his part the Vice Chairperson of the Ngami Men Sector, Mr Othata Gaanowe said that they are trying to reach the district’s residents through initiatives such as Sunday soccer tournaments. He said that in the past they held such tournaments where teams where crowned winners based on the number of players and supporters who had tested for HIV.
Mr Gaanowe added that through this initiative and other outreach programs they managed to get 304 men and women to get tested for the AIDS virus in the first quarter of this year.
On the challenges that they face in executing the duties of Men Sector Ngami committee members cited shortage of resources such as transport needed to execute the mandate of the organization.