health
February 21, 2026
Botswana's diamond-funded health system has failed: it needs to be reformed and rebuilt
As Botswana’s president here is my plan to renew this country’s beleaguered health system – and my vision for a stronger Africa
TL;DR
- Botswana declared a public health emergency due to medicine shortages, highlighting systemic failures in its universal healthcare system.
- Falling diamond revenues, the country's primary export, exposed long-standing weaknesses such as inflated drug prices and inefficient supply chains.
- The government is implementing reforms, including expanding public capacity, restructuring the medicine procurement body, and establishing a national health intelligence center.
- Botswana advocates for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to foster regional pharmaceutical industries capable of meeting public health needs.
- Resilience in healthcare systems is built through sustained public capacity, not solely through spending, a lesson learned through crisis.
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