The National AIDS Coordinating Agency, (NACA), Ministry of Health, Statistics Botswana and Stakeholders are finalizing preparations for the fourth Botswana AIDS Impact Survey, (BAIS IV).
The objectives of the survey are;
• To get up-to-date information on the behavioral patterns of the population aged 10-64.
• To determine the HIV prevalence and incidence rates among the population aged 6-weeks and above.
• To acquire information that will be used to guide future HIV and AIDS research and program planning.
• To increase the number of Batswana who know their HIV status and link them to existing HIV and AIDS programs.
• To compare HIV free survival at 24 months between HIV exposed and non-exposed children.
The field work for the survey begins on January 15, 2013 to 15 March 2013 and will comprise of three components; household questionnaire, individual behavioral questionnaire and HIV testing. The household questionnaire seeks to determine household characteristics targeting the head of the household, whilst the behavioral questionnaire will mainly address HIV knowledge, attitudes practices and access to HIV services from consenting individuals aged 10 to 64 years. All members of the selected households within the ages of 6-weeks and above will be tested.
The behavioral questionnaire will target members of the selected households aged 10-64 with the types of questionnaires being sensitive to various clusters of ages and their peculiar needs and outlook.
The survey will target selected households from 301 Census Enumeration Areas and will target citizens and non-citizens residing in Botswana. Only private dwellings will be within the scope of the survey. Institutional dwellings such as prisons, hospitals, army barracks, hotels, etc will not be within the scope of the survey.
Non-citizens who normally live in the selected household will be eligible to participate in the survey. The non-citizen tourists who would be in Botswana on holidays and not working in Botswana will not be included in the survey.