Penn President Amy Gutmann will be traveling to Botswana at the end of this week to visit the Penn in Botswana program. The program combines students and faculty from Penn's Medical, Nursing, Wharton and Annenberg schools, among others.
During her visit, Gutmann will meet with Botswanan President Festus Mogae, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health. She will also meet with the U.S. ambassador to Botswana, leaders from the University of Botswana and Penn students and faculty.
The Penn in Botswana program began in 2001 as the African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnership invited university physicians to "help develop and implement the Botswana national HIV treatment and prevention programs" according to the Penn Health System's Web site.
The partnership is a combined effort from the government of Botswana, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Merck Foundation.
According to Penn Health, 34 percent of adults in Botswana between the ages of 15 and 49 are infected with the HIV/AIDS virus.
Harvey Friedman heads the program. He's a professor of Medicine and chief of the Infectious Diseases division at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
With regard to the students who are currently stationed in Africa he told the Penn Current: "I'd say 90 percent of them [love it], and at least half of them say it was the best experience they had in medical school."
- Alissa Eisenberg
