Botswana in health crisis as Trump's aid cuts take a grip

Aid cuts by Donald Trump and an economic downturn have driven Botswana to declare a public health emergency as the country runs out of vital medicines.

- RACHEL SCHRAER

President Duma Boko has called in the military to try to fix serious supply chain issues, saying that managing the shortage of medicine and equipment will be "highly price-sensitive due to our limited coffers".

"The medical supply chain as run by central medical stores has failed," Mr Boko told the nation. "This failure has led to a severe disruption to health supplies countrywide."

His government approved 250 million Botswana pula (£13.8m) to buy medicines and is sending in the military to distribute them to health facilities.

At the start of the month, the health ministry published a letter saying drugs, including those for high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis, and sexual and reproductive health, were in short supply. Wound dressings and sutures were also running out.