Botswana sees 9/11 impact on AIDS program

The future of Botswana's children is uncertain as the country battles the world's highest incidence of HIV infection.

BARCELONA, Spain (CNN) -- Botswana is slightly smaller than Texas, but the African nation has the highest per capita incidence of HIV infection in the world -- nearly 40 percent of its adults are infected with the virus that causes AIDS.

As in most African countries, only a fraction can afford the drugs that keep HIV from becoming a death sentence.

But Botswana is lucky. The land-locked nation in southern Africa is home to some of the finest diamonds in the world. The diamond-fueled economy gives the government the ability to buy powerful AIDS drugs, and this year it launched the first program in Africa to provide the medications.

"We have to stop the spread of the virus," said Joy Phumaphi, Botswana's health minister. "Our target is that by 2016 we should have no new infections."

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Even in the earliest stages, the program appears to be showing promise.

"I can encourage people to take them because these drugs brought back my life," said Sinah Kgwaraga, who almost died last year.

Like diamonds, the program is not cheap. It's expected to cost more than $1 billion over the next four years, and the government said it will pay 80 percent of its cost -- not out of reach with strong diamond sales.

But then came September 11.

The shockwaves of the terrorist attacks have been felt in Botswana. In their aftermath, diamond sales have declined in the United States, weakening the African country's ability to fight HIV.

"We are relying so heavily on diamonds that if the sales of diamonds goes down, that is going to seriously compromise the quality, effectiveness and sales of our program," Phumaphi said.

"We want people who buy diamonds in countries like the U.S. to remember that when you buy a diamond, you are providing a drug that is going to save a child's life in Botswana."

Botswana government officials said they hope the decline is temporary and that Americans will realize how small the world can be.