New HIV scare for Botswana amid drug shortage

Botswana is facing a fresh public health emergency as shortages of condoms, HIV test kits, and essential sexually transmitted infection (STI) medication across the country threaten to unravel years of progress in the fight against HIV/Aids.

- Oarabile Mosikare

In a recent announcement, the Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/Aids (Bonela) warned that the crisis — which has hit several districts including Gaborone, Mahalapye, Palapye, Okavango, South East, Kgatleng, Francistown and Kweneng — is not an isolated supply chain issue but a “systemic failure” that demands urgent government intervention.

The shortages come as Botswana remains under a state of emergency declared by President Duma Boko in response to multiple public sector crises, including health system inefficiencies and commodity supply disruptions. The emergency measures were intended to stabilise key government functions and ensure the uninterrupted delivery of essential public services.

However, the deepening scarcity of HIV-related commodities has exposed the fragility of these systems and raised public concern about the government's capacity to manage the country's health priorities.