Botswana News

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.

Towards eliminating intestinal worms in primary school-going children in Botswana

Botswana is taking steps towards the elimination of intestinal worm infections or soil-transmitted helminths in school-going children. Between 12 and 18  September, technical WHO staff supported the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) in Botswana to complete a survey in the Chobe District, for the mid-term evaluation on the impact of the mass drug administration (MDA) on Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH). This was one of the nine districts that were carrying out the survey that included a total of 60 schools.

Botswana receives an emergency medical team to support the COVID-19 response initiat...

The Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office organized a meet and greet session for a team of medics from the United Kingdom. The Emergency Medical Team (EMT) has been deployed to Botswana to provide front-line response support and specialist expertise in hospitals currently battling the coronavirus pandemic.