A shortage in medical supplies resulted in Botswana declaring a national public health emergency, reported Bloomberg (25 August 2025) launching a 5bn pula ($348m).
Botswana’s President, Duma Boko, announced the launching of a 5bn pula ($348m) response plan to address the crisis. This follows “a prolonged downturn in the global diamond market, the bedrock of Botswana's economy”, causinga devastating impact on the government's ability to fund public services, said the President in a television interview.
The Botswana Doctors Union estimates that 83% of the population depends on the public health system, which is now facing an unprecedented challenge.