Botswana Declares National Public Health Emergency

The Botswana government has declared a national public health emergency as the country battles with the shortage of essential medicines and medical equipment.

Giving the announcement in a televised address on Monday,  President Duma Boko stated that the national medical supply chain could not meet the demands of hospitals and clinics, leaving them short of supplies. Boko mentioned that the Finance ministry approved 250million Pula in emergency funding to hasten the response of the government, with priority given to deprived rural areas. He noted that the plan will cause a strain on the country’s “limited coffers.”

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Health warned about the current state of the health system and postponed all elective surgeries on account of the country’s declining economy. The ministry also revealed that it owed $75 million to private health facilities and suppliers, reporting that the health sector was experiencing a shortage of medicines for a range of illnesses, including hypertension, cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis, asthma, mental and sexual health. It also said that there was a scarcity of dressings and sutures. 

Heavily reliant on its diamond reserves, which make up 80% of the country’s foreign earnings, Botswana has experienced a downturn in sales, causing the government to shrink the national budget. In April, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted that the Southern African country’s economy would grow by -0.4% in 2025, marking a second consecutive year of decline.

This funding shortfall has been compounded by aid cuts under President Donald Trump’s administration. Before the cuts, the US had sponsored a third of Botswana’s HIV response, according to UNAIDS, and provided $12 million through the Global Fund to combat malaria and tuberculosis. 

UNICEF has called for “urgent action” to be taken to address the escalating medical crisis in the country, stating that one in five children was underweight due to malnutrition in a western district near the Namibian border. 

Despite the challenges facing the country’s health sector, the government remains optimistic that the country will overcome and be contained swiftly. It has been reported that truckloads of medical supplies were expected to leave Gaborone, the country’s capital, and would be distributed by the military.