29 Jan 2025

Ministry of Health will engage stakeholders, including the United States Embassy to dialogue on how services affected by the US Government suspension on the Health Sector may be continued.

 According to a press release issued by health ministry in Gaborone on Tuesday, Batswana assured that such development did not affect the availability of Antiretroviral (ARV) medication, because the Botswana Government directly procured it.

The Release says the health sector aid comprised funding for direct service delivery and technical support, which over the years has been instrumental to the growth of the health sector of Botswana.

 It further says through the support from American President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the USA has been part of the Botswana health story.

 It added that since the introduction of PEPFAR in 2003, the health sector cumulatively benefited support amounting to more than P1billion.

 The release further states that many local US funded Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) implementing various health programs, indicate that they have been asked to suspend their operations with immediate effect.

 The ministry says if the suspension of aid is made permanent, it will affect progress in the health sector, especially in the area of HIV/AIDS, adding further that as a result, many people living with HIV/AIDS in Botswana were able to live long.

The release says US support had been instrumental in helping Botswana to be one of the first countries in the world to reach and exceeds the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets well ahead of time.

It further states that with new information indicating that the US government spended foreign aid with immediate effect, the impact on health sector of this country will be felt. 

The Ministry has also promised updates as it gathered more information and details on the issue. Ends