• Botswana declares a public health emergency due to critical medicine shortages.
• President Duma Boko announced a $17.35 million emergency fund to address the crisis.
• Shortages affect vital treatments for conditions like hypertension, cancer, and diabetes.

Botswana's President Duma Boko declared a public health emergency as the country faces severe shortages of essential medicines and medical supplies. The crisis has left hospitals and clinics struggling to address various health issues, including hypertension, cancer, and diabetes. President Boko stated that the national medical supply chain has failed, necessitating the military's involvement in coordinating distribution efforts across the nation, particularly to remote areas, according to Reuters, BBC, Africanews, and Africanews.

The government's health ministry had issued a warning earlier this month about depleting stocks and impending shortages, with over one billion pula owed to private health facilities exacerbating the financial challenges. President Boko emphasized that the cost of medical supplies was inflated due to inefficient procurement and distribution systems, leading to significant losses, waste, and damage, according to Reuters, BBC, and Africanews.

Responding to the emergency, the finance ministry has approved 250 million pula (approximately $17.35 million) for immediate procurement of medical supplies. The situation has been worsened by a prolonged downturn in the global diamond market, with funding cuts from the U.S. further compounding Botswana's healthcare crisis. The health ministry has temporarily halted non-urgent surgeries and medical referrals due to these shortages, as more than 2.5 million citizens face increased unemployment and poverty, as highlighted by BBC and Africanews.