Botswana News

Botswana has taken a significant step toward strengthening the governance of biological resources with the development of its National Policy on Access to Human Biological Material and Equitable Benefit-Sharing. This initiative, driven by the Ministry of Health (MoH) with support from the WHO Botswana Country Office, addresses critical gaps in managing biological resources, data sharing, and benefit distribution in healthcare and research.
The policy development process comprised three key phases. 

Botswana is making strides in combating HIV/AIDS through a comprehensive review of its National HIV Testing Services (HTS) Guidelines, conducted with support from the World Health Organization (WHO). The mission, spanning multiple sessions from June to September 2024, is a collaborative effort to align Botswana’s HIV testing strategies with the latest global recommendations, ensuring more targeted and effective intervention. 

On the 17th of September 2024, WHO country office in collaboration with other stakeholders including Meteorological Services, Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) and UNDP supported Ministry of Health in hosting a successful sensitization workshop under the theme” Role of Health Professionals on the Climate Change and Health”. The event gathered health professionals, policy makers, academia, researchers, and climate experts to address the urgent nexus between climate change and health in Botswana.

Botswana joined the global community in commemorating Patient Safety Day 2024 with a press briefing under the theme, "Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety," accompanied by the slogan, "Get it Right, Make it Safe." The event focused on raising awareness of diagnostic errors, which are a significant contributor to patient harm, and highlighted the collective responsibility of healthcare stakeholders in ensuring safer care.

Environmental Surveillance (ES) was introduced in August 2022 to complement case-based AFP surveillance. The first established site for ES was Gaborone, Glen Valley Wastewater Treatment Site. Through this surveillance, the circulating Vaccine Derived Poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) was detected on October 4, 2022. Following the country risk assessment, a recommendation was made to conduct a nationwide vaccination campaign using the novel polio type 2 polio vaccine (nOPV2) for all children under the age of 7.

Polio remains a critical global public health concern, particularly with the resurgence of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2). In Botswana, the detection of cVDPV2 in environmental surveillance in 2022 and 2023 highlighted vulnerabilities in population immunity. In response, the Botswana National Immunization Technical Advisory Group, BOTSNITAG conducted a rigorous review of scientific evidence, concluding that introducing a second IPV dose would substantially increase immunity among children under two years of age.

Botswana recognizes the global threat posed by pandemics caused by respiratory viruses, which recur unpredictably and pose significant risks to health, society, and economies. As part of the WHO Africa Region (AFRO), Botswana remains vulnerable to epidemic- and pandemic-prone diseases, including acute viral respiratory pathogens and influenza viruses. The COVID-19 and A(H1N1) pandemics underscored the severe threat posed by respiratory pathogens, exposing critical gaps in preparedness both globally and in Botswana.

The WHO Country Office has supported the government of Botswana in establishing an e-learning hub to enhance emergency preparedness and support other health programs. With technical assistance from Project ECHO and WHO/AFRO, Botswana was equipped with the necessary digital infrastructure, including learning spokes and IT equipment, to operationalize the e-learning hub.

In recent years, the world has witnessed a significant rise in public health emergencies and disasters due to environmental degradation, climate change, socioeconomic inequalities and increased cross-border movement of people and cargo. Such crises disrupt societies, causing loss of life, causes deaths and widespread suffering, and severe disruptions to health systems. For Botswana, the COVID-19 pandemic served as a stark reminder of the country's vulnerability to such emergencies.

The magnitude and frequency of disease outbreaks and health emergencies in Africa, coupled with the expansion of diseases such as cholera, Ebola Virus Disease, and Lassa fever, underscore the urgent need for robust preparedness and capacity building among WHO AFRO Member States. Furthermore, persistent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, meningitis, and yellow fever, along with zoonotic diseases such as Rift Valley fever and anthrax, highlight the importance of maintaining operational readiness.