BOTSWANA HAS A MORAL DUTY TO EXPAND ACCESS TO ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY TO SURVIVAL MIGRANTS

Abstract

Social, political and economic problems since Zimbabwe’s post-independence period have resulted in the creation of survival migrants that flock to neighboring countries for a better life. In the same period, HIV/AIDS had become a global epidemic affecting Botswana and Zimbabwe severely. While Botswana has become a beacon of success in controlling the epidemic by having the political will and international collaborations to provide preventative and therapeutic care to its citizens, the government has overlooked the survival migrants that are residing in Botswana. This population does not receive any HIV/AIDS preventative or therapeutic care from the Botswana national Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) program. In this paper, I argue that Botswana’s national ART program should be broadened to include survival migrants with HIV/AIDS. In doing so, I seek justification for the argument from 1) Utilitarian Moral Theory Perspective; and 2) Social Justice Perspective