A New Face of Botswana’s HIV Epidemic As an HIV activist, I have witnessed a profound shift in our epidemic’s demographics. Two decades ago, the focus was on keeping people alive. Today, thanks to widespread antiretroviral therapy (ART), many of those same people are alive into their 50s, 60s, and beyond. In fact, Botswana’s HIV population is graying rapidly. By some estimates, over 50% of people living with HIV in Botswana are now over 40 years old, making older adults the new face of our country’s HIV community. This is a testament to our success in expanding treatment, but it also presents urgent new challenges. While ART has extended life expectancy, additional years of life are not necessarily spent in good health. Many older PLHIV are surviving, but not thriving. They struggle with chronic pain, fatigue, heart disease, or depression. Such stories underscore a hard truth: we have won on longevity, but we are lagging on quality of life. Medical complications, multimorbidities, ...

What is Health Economics? Health economics is a field of study that examines how health resources are allocated, used, and financed. It helps decision-makers understand the trade-offs involved in investing in different health interventions by analysing their costs, benefits, and overall impact on population health. Through tools such as cost-effectiveness analysis and budget impact modelling, health economics supports evidence-based decisions that aim to maximise health outcomes with limited resources. In HIV prevention, this means ensuring that every intervention, from new biomedical tools to health service delivery, delivers real value for money and is accessible to the people who need it most. Why Health Economics Literacy Matters for HIV Advocates As an AVAC Clinical Trials Design Academy member and advocate for HIV prevention, developing health economics literacy is vital. It empowers advocates to engage meaningfully in decision-making spaces, to interrogate the value and feasi...