Botswana

Gaborone, Botswana - 24 August 2018: Botswana conducted an integrated review of the Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH-N) in 2015. The review was conducted when a number of policy and strategic plans documents for most the RMNCAH-N progress were coming to an end including that of adolescent health.

OVERVIEW

Rainfall patterns were unusual, with dry spells and wet spells punctuating the season. The estimated total area planted decreased to 185,700 ha from 284,500 ha the previous season. In turn, cereal production is estimated at 87,672 tons, down from 128,075 tons. Around 32,800 permanently destitute people are being assisted through social protection programmes in 2017/18 nationally, compared to 32,200 in 2016/17.

The National Coordinator of Botswana’s National AIDS Coordinating Agency, Richard Matlhare, has warned that complacency risks derailing the country’s AIDS response.

“The government is committed to ending the AIDS epidemic,” he said at the Botswana International HIV Conference, which took place in Gaborone, Botswana, from 23 to 25 August. “The new National HIV and Strategic Framework 2018–2023, to be launched later, has positioned HIV prevention as a game-changer to achieve epidemic transition.”

Gaborone, Botswana – 27 July 2018: The Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHw) convened a national summit from 12th – 13th July 2018 to review progress in on-going efforts to reduce maternal mortality currently estimated at 157 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2016. This summit is a follow-up of outlined interventions to track progress in addressing the unacceptable high maternal mortality in the country. The MoHw had earlier organized two previous national summits for stakeholders on the same subject matter.

Botswana’s authorities should not force any of the Caprivi refugees to return to their home country Namibia, if a real risk remains that they would face persecution or other serious human rights violations, Amnesty International said as the deadline for their voluntary repatriation expired today.

Summary of major revisions made to emergency plan of action:

In Summary

• Dukwi camp was established by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in 1978

• Minister quoted saying that measures were in place to facilitate the return of the Namibians Botswana is one of the Africa’s most stable countries

By Arnaldo Vieira

Over 900 Namibian refugees living in Botswana have been given two months to return home, local media confirmed.

The Botswana Daily newspaper quoted the country’s Defence, Justice and Security minister, Mr Shaw Kgathi, as making the announcement.

It’s a sunny day at Gweta, a small village in Botswana. Dipogiso Kelatlhegetswe bends down to clean her temporary shelter at an evacuation camp set aside by the Botswana Red Cross. Standing adjacent, her two children watch their mother maneuver the place they now call home.

“I never thought that rains would destroy my house. When it happened, I was worried about my children being homeless,” says Kelatlhegetswe, who together with her neighbours watched as their houses washed away by the heavy rainfall that poured into the village.

Gaborone, Botswana – 20 April 2018: The WCO Botswana team has today completed a 5-days long intense training exercise using “Theory of Change (ToC)” planning methodology of reflection to explore opportunities for achievement of programme priorities. The exercise involved reflective exploration of causal issues driving identified health challenges including why change is needed and how it happens. The TOC is a robust and simple to apply planning tool that enables definition of broad vision results, including how intended results can be achieved.

The Secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on 9th April 2018 handed over the second HIV and AIDS Cross Border Wellness Clinic situated at the Tlokweng border to the Botswana Ministry of Health and Wellness.

A. Situation analysis

Description of the disaster

FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

• Cereal production forecast to decline to well belowaverage levels in 2018, primarily on account of poor seasonal rains

• Food prices mostly unchanged on yearly basis as of early 2018

• Food security conditions expected to worsen in 2018 due to expected decrease in agricultural production

Poor weather expected to result in sharp cut to 2018 cereal production

Headline: Heatwave and Heat Spells persistency in northern and southern parts of the SADC Region during the period of 24 - 29 January 2018

Very high to extremely high temperatures have been experienced by most countries in the southern part of the SADC region, namely; Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, northern DRC, southern Mozambique, eastern Swaziland, southwestern Zimbabwe and southern fringes of Zambia.

Watch Zone

Headline: Heatwave and Heat Spells over southern parts of the SADC Region

Very high to extremely high temperatures have been experienced by most countries in the southern part of the SADC region, namely; Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, southern Mozambique, Swaziland and some parts of Lesotho.

GABORONE, Botswana - 28th October 2017: A comprehensive training of trainers on integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR) was conducted over a four-day period. Participants included surveillance officers, laboratory staff, clinicians and public health specialists from both the National and District level in Botswana. This workshop follows the adaptation and development of the National IDSR training manual. Both activities were coordinated and implemented by the Ministry of Health with technical and financial support from the WHO Country office.

Situation

Heavy rains caused flooding in some areas, which was exacerbated by Cyclone Dineo in February 2017. This led to an increase in diseases such as diarrhea and malaria in some areas.

Higher rainfall compared to the previous season resulted in improved crop and livestock production, thereby significantly reducing households’ vulnerability to food insecurity.

A. Situation analysis

Description of the disaster

The increasing cases of mulnutrition in the Kweneng district has been attributed to shortage of food commodities resulting in the insufficient supply to primary schools and health facilities in some areas in the district .

This was revealed in a multi-sectoral report to the Drought Inter-ministerial Assessment Team presented by the Mogoditshane/ Thamaga Sub -district.

Vice President Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi says Botswana firmly supports the 90-90-90 initiative.

Speaking during a courtesy call by UNAIDS officials, Mr Masisi said Botswana was one of the countries that declared and was reaching the 90-90-90 target.

He said Botswana was committed to the 90-90-90 target as one of the ways of dealing with HIV/AIDS challenges.