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KASANE, Botswana, August 29, 2002 — Minister of Health Joy Phumaphi inaugurated the latest in a growing network of Tebelopele voluntary HIV counseling and testing (VCT) centers in the presence of a U.S. Senate delegation led by Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD). Other members of the delegation were Jeff Bingaman (NM), Ben Nighthorse Campbell (CO) and Harry Reid (NV). Since 2000, the Government of Botswana and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control have supported the Tebelopele network of VCT centers through the "BOTUSA Project." PSI, supported by BOTUSA, promotes and markets Tebelopele services throughout Botswana through social marketing techniques. The construction of the Kasane center was possible through support and supervision from the U.S. Embassy's Office of Defense Cooperation. The Kasane center has provided VCT services since June 2001 and is the one of twelve VCT centers in the Tebelopele network operating nationwide. Four additional Tebelopele centers will join the network by the end of this year. Kasane is located in the far north of Botswana, on the border with Zambia and just west of Victoria Falls. Tebelopele centers provide immediate, quality, accessible and confidential VCT services for sexually active Batswana aged 18-49. The centers accomplish this by providing client-centered counselling to individuals and couples. Anonymous HIV testing is maintained through the use of code numbers, which alleviate the need of the client to identify himself by name. In addition to providing counselling and testing services, Tebelopele centers also serve as an HIV informational resource to the public. To date, over 35,000 Batswana have visited Tebelopele VCT services. PSI also sells male and female condoms through social marketing. In
2001, Botswana had the highest per capita male condom sales of any PSI
project in the world.
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