Sunday Standard From policy promise to system readiness: What Botswana must build for National Health Insurance to succeed On 9 August, I argued in this newspaper that Botswana should understand medicine shortages through evidence rather than assumptions, because patients experience one health system not separate ministries, warehouses, budgets, contracts or professional jurisdictions. Since then, Parliament has unanimously adopted the National Health Insurance Policy on the 19th August 2026, an
On 9 August, I argued in this newspaper that Botswana should understand medicine shortages through evidence rather than assumptions, because patients experience one health system not separate ministries, warehouses, budgets, contracts or professional jurisdictions. Since then, Parliament has unanimously adopted the National Health Insurance Policy on the 19th August 2026, and the Ministry of Health has announced a ten-year partnership with Abu Dhabi Health Data Services (ADHDS) covering medicines, medical products and wider health-system cooperation, including digital health, genomics and supply-chain support.
Both developments deserve recognition. The Minister of Health, Dr Stephen Modise, has framed NHI as a question of dignity and equity, whether people can obtain quality care regardless of where they live or what they earn. That is the right ambition. It also makes the next question unavoidable:
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The post From policy promise to system readiness: What Botswana must build for National Health Insurance to succeed first appeared on Sunday Standard and is written by Thabo Seleke
