Botswana Declares Health Emergency Amid Drug Shortages
Botswana has declared a public health emergency after President Duma Boko announced that the country’s medical supply chain had collapsed due to depleted government funds and sharp cuts in aid from the United States. The announcement followed warnings from the Ministry of Health and Wellness earlier this month that the system was under severe strain, with $75m owed to private health facilities and suppliers. Authorities reported acute shortages of medicines for conditions such as hypertension, cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis, asthma, mental health, and sexual health. Elective surgeries have also been postponed because of the crisis. In addition, the Health Ministry confirmed shortages of essential medical items including sutures and dressings. “The medical supply chain, as run by central medical stores, has failed,” President Boko said in a televised national address. “This failure has led to a severe disruption to health supplies […]
