Botswana News

Climate change has direct consequences for the key determinants of health

In the African Region, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are set to overtake communicable diseases, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional conditions combined, to become the leading cause of death by 2030.  COVID-19, along with spiralling obesity, diabetes and hypertension rates, compounds the challenge, highlighting the urgency of a multi-sectoral response.

Botswana’s participation at the World Health Assembly 2022

On the occasion of the 75th session of the World Health Assembly (taking place in Geneva between 22-28 May 2022), His Excellency Dr Mokgweetsi E.K. Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana shared Botswana’s health trajectory, particularly in the midst of country’s efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Regain lost ground on vaccine-preventable diseases in Botswana

Gaborone, 28 April 2022 – Pandemic-related disruptions, increasing inequalities in access to vaccines, and the COVID-19-related diversion of resources from routine immunization are leaving too many children without protection against vaccine-preventable diseases. As Botswana joins the world in celebrating World Immunization Week and the historic achievements through vaccines, the country needs to urgently turn the spotlight to routine immunization against common childhood diseases, such as measles.

Botswana is first country with severe HIV epidemic to reach key milestone in the eli...

Botswana has become the first high-burden country to be certified for achieving an important milestone on the path to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV by the World Health Organization (WHO). High-burden HIV countries are defined as those with more than 2% of pregnant women living with the virus. Botswana has achieved the “silver tier” status, which moves it closer to eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission. WHO awards this certification to countries which have brought the mother-to-child HIV transmission rate to under 5 %; provided antenatal care and antiretroviral treatment to more than 90 % of pregnant women; and achieved an HIV case rate of fewer than 500 per 100,000 live births.

WHO Botswana commemorates World Patient Safety Day in Maun

The World Health Organization (WHO) in Botswana and the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) commemorated the World Patient Safety Day 2021  "Safe maternal and newborn care" by organizing activities in Maun, which, with a population of 55,784 people is the fifth-largest town in the country.