Botswana declares public health emergency amid medicine, equipment shortages

Botswana has declared a public health emergency as it grapples with shortages of essential medicines and medical equipment.

President Duma Boko made the announcement in a televised address on Monday, outlining a multimillion-pound plan to rectify the country’s strained supply chain under military oversight.

Managing the shortages, Boko said, would be “highly price sensitive due to our limited coffers,” as the country faces economic pressures from a downturn in the international diamond market, high unemployment, and rising poverty.

The finance ministry has approved 250 million pula (£13.8 million) in emergency funding to address the crisis, reports the BBC.

Earlier this month, the Health Ministry warned of “significant challenges,” including medical shortages and debts exceeding one billion pula (£55.2 million).

Much of the debt arose from patients admitted to private hospitals for services unavailable in public facilities.

Health Minister, Dr. Stephen Modise, listed shortages of medicines and supplies for cancer treatment, HIV management, tuberculosis, and other essential health services.

The Ministry also temporarily suspended referrals for elective surgeries and non-urgent medical procedures, including organ transplants.

Botswana’s HIV response, previously funded in part by the United States, has been particularly affected following cuts of US aid.

Prior to these reductions, the US contributed a third of the country’s HIV program, according to UNAIDS.

Boko pledged that “the work shall remain nonstop until the entire value chain of procurement has been fixed,” signalling the government’s commitment to stabilizing the health system amid the emergency.

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