Household Survey of Behavioural Risks and HIV Sero-Status in two districts in Botswana

In 2002, the Human Sciences Research Council was commissioned by the WK Kellogg Foundation to develop and implement a five-year intervention project focusing on orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in southern Africa. In collaboration with several partner organisations, the project currently focuses on how children, families and communities in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe are coping with the impact of HIV/AIDS. The aim of the project is to develop models of best practise so as to enhance and improve support structures for OVC in the southern African region as a whole.

This report describes interventions for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) at four sites in South Africa. The project sites are the Rustenburg and Orkney areas in the North West province, and the Kopanong and Matjhabeng municipalities in the Free State. The report highlights the knowledge, attitudes, practices, prevention, care and support issues concerning HIV/AIDS among the people located in these 4 areas.

In the last decade, South Africa has made significant progress in reducing child and maternal mortality rates. Although progress has been made in improving levels of maternal and child morbidity and mortality, it is important to indicate that data used are based on varied sources and systems that sometimes yield conflicting data.

Medicine and the Politics of Knowledge situates South Africa - including its history of stances and political formations around HIV/AIDSin the broader context of questions relating to science, medicine, human experimentation, and structural violence, all of which shape the cases in the book. Putting South Africa in the context of other cases of contention and contestation about science and medicine in India, Latin America and China helps us to understand the particular history of the South African case itself.