Border Movements, Spousal Separation Driving HIV Spike In Mangwe And Bulilima

The National Aids Council (NAC), says rising HIV infections in Mangwe and Bulilima districts in Plumtree, are being fuelled by high mobility, long-term partner separation, and the constant movement of people across borders.

NAC Mangwe District HIV and AIDS Coordinator John Zwelempi Ngwenya stated that many infections are being recorded among young people, with women and girls particularly vulnerable as partners spend months apart while working outside the country.

He said the mobility of people moving in and out of Botswana and South Africa is creating situations where relationships become unstable, leading to risky behaviour.

In neighbouring Bulilima, District Coordinator Ronald Hanyane said the same patterns are emerging, worsened by high levels of poverty and informal migration. He stated that men often return home without knowing their HIV status, exposing their partners to risk of getting infected.

Both officials called for intensified community programmes, more prevention services for key populations, and stronger support for adolescents and young women who remain the most vulnerable in the two districts.