Urban Growth, Social Mobility Contributing To Rapid Spread of HIV in Botswana, NPR Reports
The development of Botswana's infrastructure, including transportation, urban growth and social mobility, has contributed to the rapid spread of HIV in the country, NPR's "All Things Considered" reports. With 38% of the adult population in Botswana estimated to be HIV-positive, the country has the highest HIV prevalence in the world. Part of Botswana's problem is the country's location in Southern Africa, which is "the heart of the global AIDS pandemic," NPR reports. In addition, the country's well-developed highways serve as "arteries for goods and diseases" across the continent, and the "economic boom" following the discovery of diamond deposits in the country also has contributed to the spread of HIV, NPR reports. The segment includes comments from Tsetsele Fantan, project leader for the African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnerships; Michael Cassell, a behavior change adviser for the Botswanan government; and Ebu Tyoor, an HIV researcher at the Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership for HIV Research and Education (Beaubien, "All Things Considered," NPR, 2/4).
The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.