As the world commits to the ambitious goal of ending HIV/AIDS as a major public health threat by 2030, evidence based planning, implementation and monitoring of the response to HIV/AIDS becomes more than ever dependent on our knowledge of the situation on the ground.

The Second National Strategic Framework (NFS II) highlights four priority areas for responding to HIV/AIDS in 2010-2016: 1. Preventing New Infections; 2) Systems Strengthening; 3) Managing Strategic Information; and 4) Scaling up Treatment, Care and Support. To fulfil the first priority, the government noticed that there is need to increase access to HIV prevention services for the most-at-risk populations’ also known as key populations and as a result conducted the first BBSS I in 2012. The result of the BBSS I indicated that there is a need to have a comprehensive exercise to map the KPs and estimate their sizes in more than three districts as previously covered by BBSS I. The Mapping and Size Estimation of Select Key Populations in Botswana Study will help the country in evidence based planning, prioritizing the geographical areas for resource allocation, feed into NSF III and assist in monitoring and evaluating the response by tracking the coverage of KPs. Identifying the key population groups, their locations and their size helps in understanding and prioritizing the current needs for HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care services while helping to project future need for those services.

In order to close the data gaps identified during BBSS I, MOHW in partnership with ACHAP through Global Fund conducted a study (MSE) for Mapping and Size Estimation of KPs namely FSW, TGs, PWID, and MSM in 12 districts namely Greater Gaborone, Chobe, Greater Francistown, Selebi Phikwe, Ngami, Tutume, Serowe, Kgalagadi North, Palapye, Kweneng West, Okavango and Boteti. The results of MSE came at a time when the country prepares its next NSFIII 2017-21 and when a review of the targeted interventions under the HIV/STI program has been completed. Both results will assist the government as it takes the leadership role in implementation of the prevention strategies among KPs with support from partners.

This technical report is recommended for use in relevant strategies.

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Ms. Ruth Maphorisa
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Health and Wellness

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