Botswana's medical supply chain collapse triggers public health emergency

Image credit: Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Boko said the military would oversee an emergency distribution drive, and the first trucks would leave the capital, Gaborone, and head to remote areas by the evening.

The southern African country's health ministry warned in early August that it was running out of medicines and supplies due to unspecified financial challenges and postponed all non-urgent surgery.

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"The medical supply chain, as run by central medical stores, has failed," Boko said in a televised address.

"This failure has led to a severe disruption to health supplies countrywide."

The finance ministry had approved 250 million pula ($17.35 million) in emergency funding for procurement, he added.

Botswana's budget has been constrained this year due to a prolonged downturn in the global diamond market - it is the world's leading producer of diamonds by value.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has also cut funding that was supporting Botswana's health sector.

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A spokesperson for Botswana's government did not immediately respond to questions about whether that had contributed to the crisis.

Boko said the price at which the government procures medical supplies was inflated, and that existing distribution systems were causing loss, waste and damage.

In its statement on 4 August, the health ministry said it owed one billion pula to private health facilities and suppliers, which was compounding its challenges.

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Medicines for hypertension, cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis, eye conditions, asthma, sexual reproductive health and mental health conditions were all running out, it said.

There were also shortages of dressings and sutures, it added.