Saralnama
Botswana declared a public health emergency on 25 Aug 2025 due to a severe shortage of essential medicines. Hospitals and clinics are struggling to treat diseases like hypertension, cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis, and asthma. The government blames financial problems and rising costs for the crisis. Emergency funds of 250 million pula (about ₹1,500 crore) have been approved to buy medical supplies. The shortage worsened after cuts in foreign health funding and a slump in diamond sales, which affect Botswana’s economy. Non-urgent surgeries were postponed earlier this month. The health emergency aims to manage the crisis and restore medicine supplies quickly. (Updated 26 Aug 2025, 13:30 IST; source: link)