Aug 27, 06:42 AM

Botswana Declares Health Emergency, Allocates $18 Million to Replenish Drugs

Botswana has declared a national public health emergency after hospitals and clinics reported running out of critical medicines and equipment. In a televised address late Monday, President Duma Boko said the state-run medical supply chain had “failed,” leaving the country’s 2.5 million people exposed to potentially life-threatening shortages. The government has approved 250 million pula (about US$18.3 million) in emergency funding and placed the military in charge of procuring and distributing supplies. Trucks were expected to leave the capital, Gaborone, within hours, while elective surgeries remain suspended. The health ministry says stocks of treatments for cancers, HIV, tuberculosis, hypertension and diabetes are exhausted and that it owes private hospitals and suppliers more than 1 billion pula. Officials link the crisis to a prolonged slump in diamond revenues, which normally underpin Botswana’s budget, and to recent cuts in US health assistance. UNICEF warned that extended shortages could deepen malnutrition and other childhood illnesses and urged international donors to step in. Boko said the state of emergency will remain until the entire procurement system is overhauled.

#Botswana #Duma Boko #Gaborone #US #UNICEF #Boko

Written with ChatGPT .

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Botswana Declares Health Emergency, Allocates $18 Million to Replenish Drugs

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