discriminatory against people living with HIV/AIDS."

The theme for this year, 'Universal Access and Human Rights', continues from last year and it addresses the critical need to continue the advocacy for access to all HIV/AIDS services as human rights matter. This is a part of the call on countries to reflect on laws and policies that may be discriminatory against people living with HIV/AIDS."

The NACA boss said Botswana has over the years, maintained and sustained comprehensive efforts in its fight against HIV/AIDS. He said the county acknowledges that the battle against HIV/AIDS has to be tackled more aggressively from the prevention front.

To this end, he said, the government has put in places various behavioural prevention strategies and interventions. Furthermore, he said, there is renewed emphasis on HIV prevention in order for Botswna to achieve its strategic target of zero new HIV infections by 2016.

He said though there has been a steady decline in HIV/AIDS new infections over the years, the war is far from over. He revealed that the 2008 survey estimated that HIV prevalence among the general population is at 17 percent, which translates to about 350,000 people living with HIV infection.

The report indicates that the prevalence rate for women is 20 percent and 14 percent for males. It also shows that the prevalence rate is highest among pregnant women aged 30-34 years with almost 50 percent women in this age group being infected.

"These statistics pose a challenge which requires combined and well coordinated interventional efforts of both government and civil society," the official said.

He added that the Nna le Seabe HIV/AIDS exhibition for 2010 could not have come at a better time. "This exhibition should rally every Motswana to play his or her own part in combating the scourge of HIV/AIDS. The war against the scourge cannot be won on the frontiers of government efforts alone but through collective efforts of all stakesholders