AGP Executive Report

Ebola Research: A South African firm, Xylomed Pharmaceuticals, says it has developed an experimental Ebola treatment and plans a double-blind clinical trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan. Prison HIV Prevention: NAHPHA is pushing Botswana’s Prison Service to create a policy framework to allow condom distribution in prisons, after new HIV-positive figures raised fresh alarm. Regional Health Support: Botswana is set to receive a new Chinese medical team, with staff split between Princess Marina Hospital (Gaborone) and Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital (Francistown). Public Health Governance: Botswana Parliament is running a week-long seminar on stronger lawmaking, including focus areas such as climate change and sexual and reproductive health and rights. Drug Use Treatment Standards: UNODC is facilitating a workshop to support Botswana’s implementation of international standards for treating drug use disorders. Health System Capacity: WHO criticised “blunt” travel bans over Omicron, urging practical precautions like masks and ventilation instead of blanket measures. HIV & Community Prevention: Bulawayo is preparing a polio vaccination push (nOPV2) for children under five, coordinated across several southern African countries including Botswana.

HIV & prisons: NAHPHA is pushing Botswana Prison Service to start a policy process that would allow condoms for inmates, after Parliament heard 15 of 211 prisoners tested in 2024/25 were HIV-positive—highlighting gaps in HIV prevention inside correctional facilities. Drug treatment standards: UNODC opened a Botswana workshop to support implementation of international standards for treatment of drug use disorders, with a focus on improving care and wellbeing for people living with drug use disorders. Health system capacity: China has deployed a new medical team to Botswana—25 specialists to Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone and 21 to Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital in Francistown—continuing support for service delivery. Community health & prevention: Bulawayo (with regional coordination including Botswana) is running a third round of the nOPV2 polio vaccination campaign for children under five, stressing community participation to reach every eligible child. Wellbeing through movement: In Alex, a community fun run is framed as more than exercise—promoting mental relief, social support, and healthier routines. Policy & rights: Botswana Parliament is holding a seminar on stronger lawmaking, including topics like sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and how legislators can better respond to public needs.

COVID-19 Response: WHO chief Tedros warns countries are “penalising” Botswana and South Africa with blunt Omicron travel bans, saying the variant is still poorly understood and urging practical steps like masks, ventilation and hygiene while scientists study vaccine performance. HIV & Prisons: NAHPHA pushes Botswana Prison Service to start a policy process so inmates can access condoms, citing new Parliament figures showing 15 HIV-positive cases among 211 tested in 2024/25. Health Systems Capacity: Botswana Parliament launches a week-long push for stronger lawmaking, with sessions covering scrutiny, procedure, AI, climate change and sexual and reproductive health and rights. Medical Support: China deploys a new team of specialists to Botswana, with staff set for Princess Marina Hospital (Gaborone) and Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital (Francistown). Drug Use Treatment: UNODC runs a workshop in Botswana to support implementation of international standards for treating drug use disorders, linking drug care with HIV prevention and wellbeing. Public Health in the Region: Bulawayo joins a synchronized nOPV2 polio vaccination push aimed at protecting children under five and stopping poliovirus spread across several countries. Community Health Access: A Botswana-focused SPHER3 fundraising drive highlights home-based care via trained community health workers for chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension.

BMC Payment Delays: Two months after cattle deliveries to the Botswana Meat Commission, Ngamiland farmers say many are still unpaid—hurting loan repayments, school fees and day-to-day farming, and prompting talk of a petition over uneven payments and weak transparency. Parliament & Health Policy: Botswana’s Parliament is running a capacity-building seminar on stronger lawmaking, with sessions touching AI, climate change, civil society engagement, gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights. Drug Treatment Standards: A UNODC-facilitated workshop in Botswana is focused on implementing international standards for treatment of drug use disorders, highlighting government and partner commitment to better health and wellbeing. Polio Vaccination Drive: Bulawayo launches the third round of the synchronised nOPV2 oral polio vaccine campaign (7–10 July), urging families to ensure every child under five is vaccinated to stop transmission. Governance Pressure: UDC leadership is publicly criticising the government’s delivery on healthcare and livestock support, saying citizens are growing frustrated with service gaps. Regional Health Access via Care: SPHER3 fundraising efforts highlight community-based healthcare—training local health workers to screen and manage chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension.

Drug Treatment Systems: Botswana is urged to strengthen drug use disorder treatment systems, with a UNODC-facilitated workshop in the country focused on rolling out international standards for care. Health Workforce & Training: St. George’s University graduates a new cohort of doctors in Botswana, highlighting the wider African push to tackle healthcare professional shortages through medical education and retention. Bilateral Care Support: Chinese medical teams continue to bolster Botswana’s referral hospitals, improving access to specialised services at Princess Marina Hospital and Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital. Polio Immunisation Drive: Bulawayo launches the third round of the synchronised nOPV2 polio vaccination campaign (7–10 July), aiming to protect children under five and stop regional poliovirus transmission. Public Health Risk Awareness: Travellers are warned about the spread of tropical mosquito-borne viruses in Europe, as tiger mosquitoes expand into new destinations. Governance & Health Access: Political commentary in Botswana points to ongoing public frustration over access to healthcare and service delivery, calling for stronger accountability.

Polio Prevention in Bulawayo: Bulawayo City Council, with Botswana’s Ministry of Health and Child Care, will run a third round of the synchronized nOPV2 polio vaccination campaign from 7–10 July, aiming to protect children under five and stop regional poliovirus transmission. Regional Health Support: Botswana welcomed new batches of Chinese medical teams, with 46 specialists deployed to Princess Marina Hospital and Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital to expand access to specialized care. Health Workforce Boost: St. George’s University School of Medicine graduated a new cohort of doctors in Gaborone, spotlighting Africa’s ongoing shortage of healthcare professionals and the need to train and retain more clinicians. Governance and Health Access: Opposition leader Balopi criticised UDC governance failures, saying frustrations are rising in key sectors including health and agriculture. Digital Health Infrastructure (Indirect): Powertel and Paratus Zimbabwe switched on the first phase of a cross-border fibre corridor linking Zimbabwe with Botswana and the wider region, supporting stronger connectivity for services. Public Health Context: A report warns that invasive “tiger” mosquitoes are spreading tropical viruses into parts of Europe, raising travel-related health concerns.

Medical workforce push: St. George’s University (SGU) graduated a new cohort of doctors in Gaborone, as Africa faces a growing shortage of healthcare professionals and countries look to expand medical training and retention. Specialist care support: Botswana says Chinese medical teams are strengthening services at Princess Marina Hospital and Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital, improving access to specialized care through regular deployments. Adolescent health in schools: Botswana’s free sanitary pad programme is helping girls manage menstruation with dignity, but authorities say mattress damage is now being linked to boys—prompting renewed focus on student behaviour and school safety. Tobacco harm reduction: Nigeria’s Tobacco Control Alliance is calling for smoke-free cities to protect children and non-smokers from second-hand smoke, pointing to ongoing youth nicotine use and gaps in enforcement. Public health systems pressure: A commentary warns Botswana’s hospitals and clinics are struggling with medicine and essential drug shortages, urging better planning and execution to address the crisis. Health and migration tensions: Reports from South Africa highlight rising fear and attacks on migrants, with implications for access to care and safety for displaced communities.

Medical training boost: St. George’s University (SGU) graduated a new cohort of doctors in Gaborone, as Africa faces a widening healthcare worker shortage and Botswana’s health leadership urged graduates to serve with “excellence, integrity and compassion.” Specialist care support: Chinese medical teams continue rotating through Botswana’s Princess Marina Hospital (Gaborone) and Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital (Francistown), with officials saying the visits improve access to specialized services. Menstrual health in schools: Botswana’s free sanitary pad programme for nearly 500,000 adolescent girls is helping protect dignity and keep girls in class, but reports now say mattress damage is increasingly linked to boys. Tobacco control push: Nigeria’s Tobacco Control Alliance called for smoke-free cities to protect children from second-hand smoke, pointing to lessons from Botswana, South Africa and Mauritius. Health system strain in the region: South Africa’s border repatriation drive at Musina is processing thousands of foreign nationals with coordinated healthcare and humanitarian logistics, highlighting ongoing public health pressures around migration.

Medical Workforce Boost: St. George’s University (SGU) graduated a new cohort of doctors at a commencement in Gaborone, as Africa’s doctor-to-patient shortage keeps pressure on medical training and retention. Specialist Care Support: Chinese medical teams are being welcomed for their 17th and 18th batches, with 46 professionals working at Princess Marina Hospital and Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital to expand access to specialized services. Menstrual Health & School Safety: Botswana’s free sanitary pad programme is helping girls stay in school, but education authorities say mattress damage linked to pad use is now being blamed on boys instead—prompting renewed attention to hostel hygiene and behaviour. Tobacco Control Push: The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance is calling for smoke-free cities to protect children from second-hand smoke, pointing to Botswana and other countries’ stronger smoke-free policies as models. Health System Partnerships: A U.S.–Tanzania global health Memorandum of Understanding highlights plans to strengthen hospitals, labs and health workers to tackle HIV, malaria, polio and tuberculosis—an approach relevant to regional health planning.

Healthcare workforce: St. George’s University (SGU) graduates a new cohort of doctors in Gaborone, as Africa’s doctor-to-patient gaps keep pressure on medical training and retention. Specialist care support: Botswana’s Ministry of Health says Chinese medical teams continue to strengthen services at Princess Marina Hospital and Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital, improving access to specialized care. Menstrual health in schools: Botswana’s free sanitary pad programme is praised, but reports now point to boys as the main culprits behind ongoing mattress damage in junior secondary schools—shifting the focus from girls to the wider school environment. Tobacco control: Nigeria’s Tobacco Control Alliance calls for smoke-free cities to protect children from second-hand smoke, noting that Botswana and other neighbours have used smoke-free policies and public awareness to reduce harm. Public health systems stress: A commentary warns Botswana’s hospitals and clinics face medicine and essential drug shortages, urging better planning and execution to stop avoidable deaths.

Health diplomacy: Botswana’s Ministry of Health says Chinese medical teams are now embedded in the national system, with 46 specialists working at Princess Marina Hospital and Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital to expand access to specialized care. Adolescent health & school safety: Botswana’s free sanitary pad programme is helping girls manage menstruation with dignity, but education authorities now say the “mattress mystery” punctures are increasingly linked to boys, shifting the focus from earlier assumptions. Tobacco control: The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance is pushing for smoke-free cities to protect children and non-smokers from second-hand smoke, pointing to ongoing exposure in public places despite existing laws. Public health systems & medicines: A Botswana opinion piece warns that hospitals and clinics are struggling with shortages of medicines, drugs and vaccines, calling for better planning and execution to tackle the crisis. Regional health cooperation: A U.S.–Tanzania global health Memorandum of Understanding aims to strengthen infectious-disease prevention and build durable hospital and lab capacity.

Medical cooperation: Botswana’s Ministry of Health says Chinese medical teams are now “integral” to care at Princess Marina Hospital and Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital, with 46 specialists in the latest batch supporting specialized services and strengthening bilateral health ties. Public health policy: Botswana’s upcoming public service salary talks for 2026–2027 include a focus on health sector conditions of service, with unions and government agreeing a framework and timelines through the Public Service Bargaining Council. HIV response: The UN adopted a new Political Declaration to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, pushing expanded HIV testing and treatment, stronger financing, human rights protections, and support for local production of medicines and technologies. Health systems & infectious disease partnerships: The US and Tanzania signed a five-year global health Memorandum of Understanding to build hospital and lab capacity and support sustainable control of HIV, malaria, polio and tuberculosis. Health access & medicines: A recent op-ed argues Botswana’s hospital and clinic medicine shortages need better planning and execution, warning that drug and vaccine gaps are undermining care.

HIV/AIDS: The UN adopted a new Political Declaration to accelerate efforts to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, with fresh targets on HIV testing, treatment and prevention, plus a push to close funding gaps and protect rights. Health systems funding: The U.S. and Tanzania signed a five-year global health Memorandum of Understanding to build a durable network of hospitals, labs and health workers, supporting HIV, malaria, polio and TB while strengthening maternal and child health. Botswana health workforce talks: Botswana’s public service salary negotiations for 2026 and 2027 are set to begin in July, with a framework agreed that includes conditions of service for health workers and other public sector issues. Botswana health access context: Botswana’s global competitiveness dropped in the latest IMD ranking, raising concerns about fiscal stability and infrastructure readiness—factors that can affect health service delivery. Regional health cooperation: The U.S. also signed a three-year health cooperation MOU with South Sudan, including commitments around paying health workers and maintaining vaccine cold-chain systems. Women’s health: A report highlights endometriosis as a major cause of long-term suffering and infertility, driven by delayed diagnosis and stigma, calling for earlier care and better training.

Public Service Salary Talks: Botswana’s public service unions and government have agreed a framework for 2026–2027 salary negotiations, with health sector conditions of service explicitly on the agenda—an important signal for the stability of essential health services. Botswana Competitiveness Drop: Botswana slid in the latest IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, raising fresh concerns about fiscal stability, private sector growth, and infrastructure readiness—key factors that can shape long-term health system funding. VAT on Remote Services: Botswana introduced VAT on electronic and professional services supplied remotely, with a 14% rate and reverse-charge duties for local recipients—part of broader digitisation that can affect how health-related service providers operate. US–Tanzania Health MOU: The US and Tanzania signed a five-year global health Memorandum of Understanding focused on infectious disease control (including HIV, malaria, polio and TB), plus maternal and child health—relevant for regional lessons on strengthening labs, hospitals and workforce capacity. UN HIV/AIDS Declaration: Member states adopted a new Political Declaration to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, with targets on testing, treatment, prevention, rights, and sustainable access to medicines. Environmental Rights Case Studies: ERA launched 20-country environmental rights case studies to assess how communities can access information, participate in decisions, and seek justice—important for health impacts linked to environmental harm.

Botswana health workforce talks: Botswana’s public service salary negotiations for 2026 and 2027 are set to begin in July, with a framework agreed by government and unions including the Health Workers Union (BLLAHWU), raising hopes for clearer conditions of service for health staff. HIV/AIDS push: The UN adopted a new Political Declaration to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, focusing on wider HIV testing and treatment, prevention, human rights, and protecting access to medicines—an agenda that will shape regional health planning. US health partnerships: The US and Tanzania signed a five-year global health Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen infectious-disease response through co-investment in hospitals, labs, and health workers, including support for HIV, malaria, polio and tuberculosis. Botswana competitiveness and health funding pressure: Botswana dropped in the IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, with concerns about fiscal stability and infrastructure readiness—an indirect risk factor for sustained health service delivery. Water safety data: A global mapping report highlights where safely managed drinking water is still out of reach, underscoring ongoing public health risks from unsafe water access.

HIV Response: The UN High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS adopted a new Political Declaration to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, pushing for wider HIV testing, treatment and prevention, stronger funding, human rights protections, and more reliable access to medicines and health technologies. Public Health Policy: A US–South Sudan health cooperation deal signed under the “America First Global Health Strategy” targets infectious disease prevention, with over $146m from the US and nearly $20m from South Sudan to support clinical care, vaccine cold-chain systems, and health worker salaries. Health Equity & Care Access: A report on endometriosis highlights long delays to diagnosis and care, with women often mislabelled as having other conditions and facing stigma—underscoring the need for earlier diagnosis and better training and equipment. Water & Health Risks: A global data map shows where safely managed drinking water is still out of reach, noting that over 2 billion people lack safe water at home—fueling major health risks. Botswana Health Context: Botswana’s public service salary talks are set to begin in July, with health sector conditions of service expected to be part of negotiations, affecting staffing and service delivery.