Engaging young medical students in research is a focus of this programme. Students work independently or in teams of two, collaborating closely with study doctors and nurses to enroll study patients. The have also helped facilitate the collection of patient specimens and overseen patients through the enrollment and follow-up process.

Each participating student has taken ownership of the project and participated in all phases of research - hypothesis generation, protocol development, research logistics, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, and scientific writing and presentation. For instance, the first student spent 7 months with the project and helped develop a variety of study protocols. Twelve more students have since been assigned to the project, working primarily as team members on long-term cohort studies as well as short-term cross-sectional work. This work has included:

• ascertaining causes of lung disease in HIV-positive adults
• assessing risk factors for M. tuberculosis transmission to improve control strategies,
• assessing, through autopsy, causes of death in patients with AIDS
• characterising the TB epidemic (surveillance)
• surveying drug-resistant TB
• identifying risk factors for HIV in TB patients
• gauging interest in receiving TB preventive therapy and HIV testing among clinic attenders
• determining feasibility of TB preventive therapy for persons living with HIV
• evaluating new tests for the diagnosis of TB
• describing approaches for improving aspects of TB public health programmes, and
• investigating outbreaks.

Using this research as a base, BOTUSA programmes have included:

• Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT): Opened 16 "Tebelopele" VCT centres in support of Botswana's "Know Your Status" campaign. Demand for HIV testing is high – at least 50,000 clients were counseled and tested in 2003. Also provided technical assistance to partners to expand services to other settings.
• Prevention of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission (PMTCT): Helped develop educational materials, trained counselors, and provided technical assistance and support. Helped improve infrastructure nationwide, and helping establish a multidisciplinary PMTCT operational research project in Francistown.
• Behaviour Change Communications: Worked with the government and others to develop an entertaining, highly popular Setswana radio serial drama, Makgabaneng, focusing on culturally specific AIDS-related issues. More than 150 episodes have been aired throughout the country over Radio Botswana.
• Youth: Supporting the Youth Health Organisation (YOHO) to mobilise youth and offer youth reproductive health education.
• Total Community Mobilisation: A nationwide door-to-door HIV education programme, co-sponsored by the Botswana government, provides person-to-person HIV education and condom distribution.
• School Education: Developing Botswana-specific HIV/AIDS materials for students at the primary and secondary levels with the Ministry of Education.

Health, HIV/AIDS, Youth.