Botswana News

31 May 2017, Selebi-Phikwe, Botswana: Botswana commemorated World No Tobacco Day in the copper mining town of Selebi-Phikwe. The commemoration was headlined by the Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness Honourable Phillip Makgalemele, who pleaded with the public to monitor and curb the impact of tobacco on their health, income and social life.

Rasesa Village, Kgatleng District – 24 April 2017: A high profile and well attended community African Vaccination Week commemoration was held in Rasesa Village in Kgatleng District. Among dignitaries in attendance was the representative of the Honourable Minister of Health and Wellness DR Haruna Jibril, including Kgosi Rasesa and other Kgosi from the district environs. The Honourable Member of Parliament for Mochudi North West Hon.

The Minister of Health and Wellness, Honourable Dorcas Makgato delivered the first of a series of lectures on Health and Development at the University of Botswana Conference Centre. Fittingly, the inaugural lecture was on the importance of inter-sectoral action on the social determinants of health. Honourable Makgato intimated that her Ministry will work with other sectors to identify and address their impact on health to enable them accentuate the positives and mitigate the negatives.

Gaborone, Botswana, 7 April 2017 - Her Excellency, Katie Ransome, the British High Commissioner to Botswana visited the WHO Botswana Country Office to explore opportunities for collaboration between her office and the WHO Country Office. Her visit coincided with the presence of the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, in Botswana. Dr Moeti was in the country to attend the UN Africa Regional Director’s meeting.

Kanye, Botswana - 24th March 2017: The 2017 National World TB Day was commemorated in Kanye in the Southern part of the country under the theme. “Unite to End TB”. This campaign resonates very well with the Post 2015 TB global End TB strategy and seeks to foster strong stakeholder mobilization, high level advocacy and inclusiveness irrespective of nationality, age, gender or profession. The ceremony was attended by community members and dignitaries including members of parliament.

WHO Representative in Botswana gives an interview on Radio RB2 on Addis Declaration on Immunization. He highlighted that the declaration is an opportunity to bridge all the gaps of inequity ensuring that all people have access to accessible, affordable, equitable immunizations services irrespective of where they live or where they were born or their level of economic status.

Gaborone, Botswana - 7 February 2017: World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Botswana, Dr. Martins Ovberedjo visited the SADC Secretariat to meet with the SADC Executive Secretary, Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax. 

Francistown, Botswana, 11 November 2016 -  Botswana National TB Program held Training of Trainers Workshop, in collaboration with the City of Francistown, with the objective of building a network of trainers that are skilled in training methodologies meant to improve TB Programme performance outcomes. These trainers will in turn capacitate District Health Care workers on TB management. This was necessitated by the changing landscape of TB and attrition of current trainers.

Francistown, Botswana, 17 September 2016 -- Concerned by the persistently high maternal deaths despite the high coverage of key maternal mortality reduction interventions (such as antenatal care, skilled birth attendance and postnatal care), the Ministry of Health convened a high level two-day national summit. Stakeholders in attendance, including MOH, DHMTs, all hospitals management and professional bodies, deliberated on the high levels of maternal and newborn mortality and to propose ways and means to accelerate their reduction.

Francistown, Botswana, 15 September 2016 - The Ministry of Health in Botswana and the World Health Organization convened a three day meeting, for over 100 health sector stakeholders, including Ministry of Health (MoH) top officials, District Health Management Teams (DHMTs), partners, academia and researchers, to assess progress made in the implementation of set targets for Botswana’s malaria elimination efforts.